


Girlfriend-for-Hire

by JoshuaHyo



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Misunderstandings, Past Relationship(s), Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 98,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26315632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoshuaHyo/pseuds/JoshuaHyo
Summary: Feeling lonely, Park Jihyo found herself downloading an app called 'Dream Life', a girlfriend rental service in Korea. She booked the prettiest girl she found, Minatozaki Sana. Things get complicated as Jihyo ended up developing feelings for her.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Minatozaki Sana, Im Nayeon/Park Jisoo | Jihyo, Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon, Kim Dahyun/Minatozaki Sana, Minatozaki Sana/Park Jisoo | Jihyo, Myoui Mina/Park Jisoo | Jihyo
Comments: 41
Kudos: 137





	1. The Girlfriend(?)

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Dream Life! Before finding your dream date, here are some general rules to follow:
> 
> 1\. Please maintain proper behavior towards our agents. They have full control of cancelling your booking should they find your actions inappropriate.
> 
> 2\. Please avoid any physical contact with our agents. Handshakes and holding hands are permitted.
> 
> 3\. Asking personal information (e.g. Contact Number) is prohibited. You are only allowed to make bookings through our application.
> 
> 4\. Exceeding your time limit with our agents will result to an overtime charge based on a per hour rate.
> 
> 5\. Please carefully read our agent’s profile to avoid anything that might be uncomfortable for them.
> 
> 6\. Each agent’s fee is different based on their evaluation, standards, and rank.
> 
> 7\. To finalize your booking, please indicate location and set of activities with our agent. If the details are approved by our agent, you will receive an e-mail notification from us in less than 24 hours.
> 
> That is all and we hope you find happiness in our agency’s service!

Time: 15:54 KST

Day: Saturday

Date: September 9

Location: Myeongdong

Weather: Light rain

It was Park Jihyo’s first time there. She was not really that familiar with the place considering that she hoped nobody would notice her meeting up with someone. A medium-sized crowd was roaming around that weekend which was something the young girl was more or less fine with. Not knowing what to expect, she felt anxious of what is about to come. She only knew about it from a YouTube video, but here she is now. And it’s really happening.

JH: “Should I.. really be doing this?..”

The young girl brought out her phone and opened a new application she downloaded to check the profile of the person she was about to meet.

Name: Minatozaki Sana

“I like talking about almost anything! Let’s have fun~”

Birthday: December 29, 1996 Height: 163cm

Nationality: Japanese Weight: 48kg

Personality: Bubbly, Extrovert, Clumsy

Likes: Smoothies, Jellies, Spicy Food

Dislikes: Thunder, Bugs

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

JH: “..She’s really pretty. For some reason, I feel nervous..” 

Jihyo locked her phone and placed it inside her pocket in anticipation of the young Japanese she was about to meet. She idly stood at one corner holding an umbrella that rainy afternoon as she waited for the girl to arrive. In a few minutes before the call time, she heard someone who seem to be speaking to her. 

??: “..Eh? You’re the only one with a white umbrella here.. Are you.. user PJH21?” 

Jihyo turned towards her direction and saw the beautiful woman staring at her in surprise. 

JH: “Umm.. H-hi! Minatozaki Sana, right? Sorry if I surprised you.. You can call me Jihyo. Is this.. okay?” 

Sana was silent for a bit as she did not expect what was going on. She shook her head and smiled at her customer. 

SN: “It’s not a problem at all! Of course, I’m your girlfriend~ Shall we go now?” 

JH: “Y-yeah!” 

Jihyo immediately realized it. She was very pretty, as if she was an idol. A small face, captivating eyes, and a perfect nose. She had a skinny body begging anyone to hug and protect her. Besides this, Sana had a radiant smile that can easily make anyone say ‘I want a girlfriend like her.’. Jihyo walked ahead as Sana soon grabbed on her hand after catching up to her as they both walked to their first destination, which was a movie theater. 

Sana was Jihyo’s girlfriend. A girlfriend-for-hire to be exact. Jihyo downloaded a rental girlfriend application and chose the Japanese girl to be her date for the day. Of course, the price does not come it cheap, and there are certain rules and boundaries that must be followed by both client and agent. However, one rule that wasn’t indicated was that the customer is limited only to males. Thus, Jihyo was able to book her. 

SN: “Oh! Parasite! I have not seen this movie before~” 

JH: “R-Really? You must have with other-“ 

SN: “Nope! As your girlfriend, I’m really excited to watch this with you~” 

JH: “G-great!” 

This industry has recently been a booming business for beautiful young men and women to look for a quick source of income, and a big help for consumers who wish to have some company. As with recent trends among single young and old people, finding love has been a big difficulty for many. Some don’t have the time to do so, while others would use such service to make themselves feel better as a person. There are even others who do this just to save face and not make themselves like a person who hasn’t brought their partner in a family gathering or such events. Both client and agent are able to enjoy their day, without any further commitment or development of feelings afterwards. But how about Jihyo? What was her reason for renting a girlfriend? 

SN: “That was a great movie~ shall we have dinner now?” 

JH: “Y-yeah.. I booked a restaurant near here. Follow me.” 

SN: “Of course~” 

The girl smiled at her and held on hand once again as she happily walked alongside her. Jihyo started to get distracted. She tried to reinstate in her mind that she was just her girlfriend-for-a-day. Yet, she felt that it was really nice to be around her. They arrived at an Italian restaurant and ordered their food. While waiting, Sana asked. 

SN: “By the way, Jihyo.. how about the.. you know, hehe.” 

JH: “..Oh! R-right. Here.” 

Jihyo handed over a piece of envelop containing the sum of 150,000 Korean Won. 

SN: “Thank you~ So.. what happened with your day today, Jihyo?” 

This was a typical question that was asked by a lover, as Jihyo thought. She knew that Sana was just acting as her girlfriend, but felt that it was also something for her to open up. 

JH: “S-sorry..” 

SN: “..Eh?” 

JH: “This is.. kind of unusual for you. Am I your first female customer?” 

SN: “What are you talking about? I’m your girlfriend, silly!” 

JH: “..It’s okay. You don’t have to put up an act, Sana. I won’t give you a low rating or something.” 

SN: “..Well, if you put it that way, yeah. But it’s okay! Can I ask you a question as well?” 

JH: “..Huh? S-sure..” 

SN: “I know I should be minding my own business, but why did you book me today? What’s your story?” 

Jihyo perfectly knew that rental girlfriends like Sana would always have this question in their minds. They meet a lot of clients, with various reasons, including loneliness as one. Jihyo had her own reasons as well. She looked down as she remembered why she even tried this service. 

JH: “I-it’s none of your business!” 

SN: “..Okay.” 

Sana just smiled and didn’t try to ask any more questions. The Japanese beauty immediately understood just based on Jihyo’s response as to what her reasons were. Similar to a few of her customers, she knew that the younger girl dealt with something traumatic in romance, potentially a break up, losing a loved one, and such. Like a natural, she didn’t try to dwell on the topic even longer. In a bit, their appetizers have arrived. 

SN: “Ah! It looks so good~ Come on babe! Let’s go eat~” 

JH: “..R-right..” 

During their meal, Sana would do things a sweet girlfriend would do. She asked how was Jihyo’s day and tried to learn more about her. Besides that, she would share her plate and feed the younger girl. It started to get embarrassing for Jihyo as she never experienced something like that before. Sana was definitely her ideal type of girl, as she somewhat felt sad that this was just a one-day thing with her. She thought that if only she could get a chance with her, her life would be great right now. 

They went on with their date, heading next to the arcade, took a photo through a booth together and then wrapped it up at a park. 

SN: “I guess that’s already three hours..” 

JH: “Umm, I’ll walk you home, Sana?” 

SN: “Oh, I’d love that! But it’s not allowed in our agency’s protocol. Hehe.” 

JH: “..Oh! S-sorry..” 

SN: “It’s okay~ but I’m definitely going to miss you. Until next time, okay?” 

Sana smiled and waved goodbye as Jihyo was surprised that she left all of a sudden. The younger girl got surprised with Sana’s last words for her and had various thoughts. Did she say that because she really enjoyed being with me today? Or does she say it to any client she has? As soon as she got back to her apartment, she checked on her phone again to see reviews from previous clients. 

????? 

‘I had a fun time with her!’ 

??????? 

‘I’ll book her again in the future!’ 

???? 

‘She said she wants to see me again! I’m excited!’ 

That was then that Jihyo realized, it was all an act. There wasn’t anything special with her words. She was just good at acting as a girlfriend. Her hopes went down again as she sulked inside her room thinking that she will never find true love. It started to somewhat irritate her with how people like Sana could easily toy with another person’s feelings and take advantage of it. As she sorted out her items in her bag, she took our their photo together and looked at it. 

JH: “..Seriously, she’s so beautiful and nice.. If only she didn’t have that kind of job..” 

She decided to just take a rest after everything that happened that day. She just lost a lot of money for a temporary moment of happiness. Still, she can’t deny the fact that she enjoyed a lot too. And Sana was just an amazing partner that day. 

The following week. 

SN: “Hi, Jihyo~ You look wonderful today!” 

JH: “T-thanks!” (I’m an idiot.. I can’t believe I’m doing this again..) 

SN: “We’ll go shopping today, right? I’d like to pick nice clothes for you~” 

Despite everything she has been saying last week, she booked Sana for another date. Seeing her smile was so refreshing for her. The way that the Japanese girl stares at her would easily melt anyone’s cold heart. Still, Jihyo thought to herself, why did she book her again? What does she want to get out of this situation? 

Sana held on her hand again as they headed to the department store. People kept on looking at them and especially talked about the girl holding her hand. Yet, nobody was really suspicious of their activity. Just two girls casually holding hands as they walked at the mall. Still, Jihyo felt that she was being treated more romantically by the Japanese beauty. They eventually reached their destination and Sana took the lead in choosing clothes for her. 

SN: “Can you try this on? I think this will suit you well~” 

JH: (..What am I doing? If this drags on, I’ll use up all my school funds in no time..) 

SN: “..Jihyo?” 

The younger girl still didn’t respond to her. Sana took the initiative in getting her attention. She placed herself direct in from of her and faced Jihyo, only having a few centimeters away from each other. 

JH: “W-WHAT THE!?” 

Jihyo started to blush right after and backed away as her lips almost touched Sana’s. 

SN: “..Just tell me if anything’s wrong babe, okay?~” 

JH: “I-I’m fine! Thanks for worrying..” 

Sana replied with a smile after hearing Jihyo’s response and handed over the top she chose for her. Their date went on and they ended up buying a new attire for Jihyo. 

Next, they headed to a newly opened restaurant to have lunch. There was a waiting queue and took them about half an hour to get in. It didn’t feel that long for Jihyo though as she enjoyed Sana’s company who kept on asking more questions about her. After getting in and making their order, Jihyo decided to talk about something else. 

JH: “..How about you?” 

SN: “..Eh?” 

JH: “I want to know more about you. We’ve been talking a lot about me, but.. I’m more interested about your story.” 

SN: “..I see. I’m sorry, but the agency restricts us in giving a lot of personal information, hehe.” 

As much as Jihyo’s hopes went up taking the first step to know more about the girl in front of her, it plummeted right after. 

JH: “Be honest.. No need to turn on your girlfriend mode.. Do you think I’m.. weird?” 

SN: “Nope! I do understand your preference and we are free to like anyone~” 

JH: “Y-you’re right, hehe. I’m sure you’re pretty popular among your clients. You only get five-star reviews.” 

SN: “Well, I guess it’s natural in this line of business? I’m just a newbie here though. I have lots to learn.” 

JH: “So.. you turn them down?” 

SN: “..Eh?” 

JH: “When they confess to you seriously or something.” 

SN: “Well, it’s in the service agreement and that should be followed.” 

JH: “..I see.” 

Their food arrived as they both started to eat their meal. Sana switched back to being Jihyo’s girlfriend, although the younger girl was more silent than last week. Sana let her be and tried to cheer her up, that is until her client suddenly spoke. 

JH: “..I recently got rejected.” 

SN: “..Eh?” 

JH: “She told me that she likes another girl.. I liked her for a long time. That’s why it has been hitting me really hard..” 

SN: “..Well, she’s been missing out a lot of fun then.” 

JH: “..Huh?” 

SN: “It feels nice being with you, Jihyo. I’m really having a blast! It’s very different unlike some people I meet. Some clients can be really weird.. Well, not all of them, but you get the idea!” 

As much as Jihyo wanted to feel good about what Sana said, she can’t help but remember that their time together is only temporary. Her words might just be a facade to make her happy for now. In a way, she remembered that these males she has been talking fall prey into this industry for a make-believe of being in a relationship with someone who is too good to be true. 

JH: “..Do you like what you’re doing?” 

SN: “..Eh? W-well, yeah!” 

JH: “..So, does it feel nice to play around with the feelings of the people who book you?” 

Sana was surprised as Jihyo’s tone suddenly changed. The latter didn’t know what was going on with her as she blurted out words she knew she shouldn’t say to someone like Sana. 

SN: “It’s.. it’s not like that.” 

Jihyo slammed her hand on the table, drawing the attention of a few diners. Sana got worried with all the ruckus they’re causing right now. 

JH: “Then what is it then!? You’re getting paid doing this while making broken people cling to false hope!” 

SN: “..P-please stop, Jihyo..” 

JH: “Isn’t it you who should stop doing this!? There are a lot of jobs out there that are more proper than playing with a person’s feelings!” 

Sana stood up from their dining table and excused herself. 

SN: “..I need to use the restroom.. S-sorry..” 

The young Japanese rushed to the restroom and tried to hide her face as they were creating an unnecessary commotion. Jihyo on the other hand, felt bad for her sudden outburst. Not to mention there were several bystanders who saw them. Instead of waiting for her date, she soon followed her to the restroom. She took a deep breath and opened the door, seeing Sana in front of the mirror as she washed her hands. 

JH: “H-hey, Sana.. I’m so-“ 

SN: “You’re really different, you know.” 

JH: “..W-what?” 

SN: “To say something like that in the middle of our date, you must be overthinking things.” 

Jihyo knew that Sana was now not trying to appeal to her as her tone became somewhat serious. 

JH: “..Sorry.” 

SN: “It’s fine. Honestly, that is one thing that many people think about this girlfriend rental business. I had people I know tell me that this is a bad thing to do. Some pretty boys and girls really abuse their clients to enjoy a good life, get showered with gifts, and earn money while doing so. If you think that I’m doing the same, it’s okay.” 

JH: “..So why are you doing it?” 

SN: “..Sorry, Jihyo. But I can’t say those things. We are in the middle of our date too.” 

JH: “..I know you’re different, Sana.” 

SN: “How can you be so sure?” 

JH: “I just know.” 

SN: “Well, okay. So, do you want to go back to our date?” 

JH: “..Yeah.” 

Sana grabbed on Jihyo’s arm and smiled as she returned to the sweet girlfriend she was for her. 

SN: “Okay~ let’s go back!” 

It somewhat scared Jihyo with how Sana could switch her personality from that ideal girlfriend to somebody who could be so serious about her job. Despite how their conversation went, she really felt that a girl like her that would give her such answer would have other reasons beside the money. In fact, Jihyo became even more interested to know more about her. But that in a way is something that can’t easily be discovered. 

As they went out the restroom, everything was fine again and the other people did not seem to mind them anymore, probably thinking it was just an argument of some sort. Jihyo returned to normal and became talkative again. She felt that she has to enjoy this moment with Sana, as holding on to false hopes will just end up hurting her even more. That is why she thought that this may very well be the last time she will rent her. 

After paying their bill, they went out of the restaurant, now heading to the park where they will be strolling around for a bit. Sana held her hand as they both walked together. However, not far from their location, one familiar girl just a few meters away saw the two leave the restaurant. 

??: “Huh? Is that.. Jihyo? What is she doing here? And who’s that girl with her?”


	2. The First Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are you new to the girlfriend rental service? Here are some reminders for you!
> 
> \- Gift giving is okay, but don’t expect anything in return! No matter how much the cost the gift is, our agents are not going to give any extra favors, you might get banned too!
> 
> \- Some of our top agents are always fully booked for up to a month ahead in time! Make sure to browse later dates if you wish to see top tier girlfriends!
> 
> \- Don’t stick to one agent. Agencies have a wide range of girlfriends with unique personalities that can appeal to many.
> 
> \- Rental girlfriends usually have a time limit per day and would usually not go beyond 9 in the evening. Please remember they have lives too outside this service.
> 
> \- There can be cases of emergencies on the agent’s end so your booking might be cancelled. Please be considerate.
> 
> \- Please consider the possibility of our agents having a real relationship with someone else. Again, this is a profession.
> 
> \- Lastly, please DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH OUR AGENTS!

After some quality time, Jihyo’s date was again about to come to an end. They were sitting at one of the benches, still holding hands. Feeling regret that this temporary thing is about to end, she knew that it would be best if she stops this rental thing before it drains her wallet. It took her some courage to bring out the topic.

JH: “Hey, Sana..”

SN: “Hmm?”

JH: “Thanks for keeping me company today.”

SN: “Of course! I’m always able to enjoy when we go out~ hehe.”

JH: “..Do you say that to all of your clients?”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “..N-nothing.. Sorry.”

Sana’s phone started to alarm signaling the end of her time as Jihyo’s girlfriend. The younger girl handed over the envelope with her pay for the girl’s services.

SN: “Thank you~ Be sure to go home safely, okay?”

JH: “..I will. Thanks.”

Sana stood up and walked away for a few steps before stopping and looking back at Jihyo. She gave her a big smile.

SN: “I’m no longer on duty, so I guess I can tell you this much..”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “Besides the money I need to support myself, the reason why I like this job, is that I am able to help people out feel better about themselves. Everybody needs support one way or another, right? And also, I love meeting new people and listening to their stories. And when I learn that they become better at what they do, it makes me feel fulfilled! Listening to each person’s story is something I find fulfilling to do~”

JH: “Sana..”

SN: “I’ll be heading off now, Jihyo. Thank you again for today and until the next date~”

Sana waved goodbye and went on her way back to her home. Jihyo just sat there thinking about what the Japanese girl just told her. She smiled, thinking that it was something she would expect from a sweet girl like her. It felt that she was making some progress in really getting to know her. However, she still was bothered by something. Will it ever go beyond a rental girlfriend? Regardless, her feeling of no longer renting Sana disappeared. She definitely wanted to see her again.

Eventually, Jihyo stood up and went on her way back to her home, feeling a little happier than she has usually been for the past two weeks. After finishing all of her remaining school works, she again left a five star review on Sana’s profile and went to sleep.

The following day was a Monday, so it means going back to university to attend her classes. She was more energetic than before and was more participative in class because of this. One of her friends noticed this and talked to her in-between classes.

??: “You seem to be much better now, Jihyo.”

JH: “Oh, Jeongyeon. How was your weekend?”

JY: “All good. Had to take care of our pets the entire time. Bomb seems to feel much better now.”

JH: “Great to hear that!”

Jeongyeon was a good friend of Jihyo. Probably the her most longtime friend. She was the one who knew most things about Jihyo, except for the part where she got rejected after a confession, and that she has been renting a girlfriend.

JY: “So, will you be available this weekend?”

JH: “Huh? For what?”

JY: “Well, her birthday is coming up, right? I’m sure you’re anxious about it.”

JH: “Oh.. Y-yeah! I guess. I’ll.. have to check my schedule though.”

However, during her lunch break, while sitting by the university’s sidewalk leading to the main entrance and enjoying a sandwich, one girl called out to her.

??: “Jihyo?”

The girl’s voice sent shivers on Jihyo’s spine. She very well knew whose voice it was. She turned to that direction and did her best to smile at her.

JH: “N-Nayeon-unnie! You surprised me.”

NY: “It’s been a while since I last saw you.. I heard from Jeongyeon you weren’t okay recently. Are you.. okay now?”

JH: “Y-yeah! I’m fine.. Don’t worry about me.”

NY: “By the way.. Can we.. talk later?”

JH: “..Huh? S-sure..”

NY: “Thanks. Usual time and place, okay? Have to hurry now. My class starts in a few.”

JH: “Yeah, see you.”

Nayeon hurried to leave as she only had a few minutes before her next period. Jihyo could only let out a deep breathe after her encounter with the older girl.

JH: *Sigh* “I got careless.. I didn’t expect that we’d suddenly see each other..”

It’s not as if Jihyo wanted to avoid Nayeon all the time. Rather, she was feeling uneasy about the entire situation. Regardless, she has to do so if she wanted to go anywhere.

After a few hours, it was already time for them to talk again. Jihyo awaited for the older girl to arrive at a café two blocks away from their university. As Nayeon arrived, she went straight to Jihyo’s seat.

NY: “You’re early, Jihyo. Wait a sec, I’ll order my-“

JH: “It’s fine, unnie. I already ordered your favorite.”

NY: “Thanks!”

Jihyo perfectly knew what the older girl wanted, and iced latte with less sugar. Besides Jeongyeon, Nayeon was another person that was really familiar to Jihyo for a long time, coming in second from the other one. However, when they entered university, the eldest girl had less time to spend with them as she took up a different degree in the form of Engineering. Not long after, their drinks arrived at their table.

JH: “..What did you want to talk about with me, unnie?”

NY: “Well, I know this is a bit awkward for you but, I hope whatever happened two weeks ago doesn’t bother you right now..”

JH: “Y-yeah.. It’s.. fine..”

NY: “..Are you sure?”

JH: “Yup.”

NY: “Whew, that’s a relief!”

JH: “…”

Nayeon was the one that rejected Jihyo’s confession. She was a very caring unnie for her that made her feel comfortable with who she was. When she was being bullied in school, Nayeon was always the first one to stand up for her. The younger one was in love with her for a long time since they were all in high school. But right when she already gathered all her courage to confess her feelings.

~ Flashback start ~

NY: “..I’m sorry, Jihyo. I don’t really see us that way. You’re like.. a sister to me.”

JH: “…”

NY: “..And you know that I already like someone..”

Yes. Jihyo knew that Nayeon already liked another girl, and knew who it was even before making her confession. That act alone proved to be a courageous one, especially when you know that you’re likely getting a no. Jihyo replied with a smile before speaking.

JH: “..I understand, Nayeonie. Hehe.. sorry for suddenly saying that.. I just wanted to take that out of me.”

NY: “Thanks.. I hope things don’t get awkward between us.”

~ Flashback End ~

NY: “..So, will you be able to come this weekend for my birthday?”

JH: “Have you already planned it out?”

NY: “Yeah.”

Nayeon opened her phone and showed the details to Jihyo.

NY: “This is the karaoke bar’s location. It’s near Hanlim Multi Arts School. I already booked the reservation room for eight people from 5pm to 9pm.”

JH: “..Eight?”

NY: “So, it’ll be you, me, Jeongyeon and four of my classmates. That is Yeri, Jennie, Jisoo and Sowon.”

JH: “That’s just seven. Who’s the other one?”

NY: “..Are you sure you’re not going to tell it to me yourself?”

Jihyo got confused as to what her unnie was talking about. But in a bit had an idea what it was, as she suddenly stuttered talking.

JH: “..Y-you mean?”

Nayeon had a smile on her face afterwards.

NY: “I actually saw you yesterday with a beautiful girl going out of a restaurant.”

JH: “HUH!? Y-YOU SAW ME!?”

NY: “Yeah. She was really clingy to you. Is she.. your girlfriend?”

JH: “N-no! I-I mean.. it’s uhh..”

NY: “Well, no need to be shy about it, okay? Anyway congratulations.”

Jihyo wanted to tell the truth, but wasn’t able to do so. She very well knew that admitting that she was just a rental girlfriend will make her look pitiful to Nayeon’s eyes. Her other option wad to lie about it, but is still not really a good idea since it would only look like she only held onto her feelings for Nayeon for a mere two weeks before finding another lover. But why does she still care about it despite getting rejected already? It’s not that she cares because they’re still friends. Rather, Jihyo was still harboring feelings for her. She may have been rejected, but it was more than evident that she’s clinging to her hopes as if the world would turn to her favor. Instead of saying anything else, she just kept quiet about it and hoped that she could set things right in the future.

NY: “To make things simple, she’s the eighth person. I’d like you to bring her to the birthday party, Jihyo.”

JH: “W-well, I’m not sure if she’s available..”

NY: “..Do it for me, okay?”

JH: “Ah.. A-alright..”

NY: “Great!”

Jihyo felt stupid for agreeing with Nayeon’s request. She was just that weak for her long-time infatuation. Yet, it just came to her that it would really be awkward for her bring her so-called new girlfriend to the dinner party of the one she truly liked.

After about half an hour, they left the café and parted ways, both heading back to their homes. Jihyo immediately checked on her phone and opened up Dream Life again, searching for the beautiful Japanese lady’s schedule. As she noticed, Sana only had a few slots opened for the week. This was likely due to the idol-like girl’s rising popularity. She then checked the schedule for Saturday.

JH: (..W-what? She’s only free from 7 to 9pm.. but her minimum is a three hour fee. So I’ll lose an hour?)

With her limited budget, she tried to reconsider if she will really book her or not. Jihyo was just a university student, and does not have any part time work.

JH: (..I better consider finding a job soon.. Alright, let’s do this for Nayeon-unnie.)

Jihyo made her booking set up for the older girl’s birthday. As soon as she got home, she received an e-mail notification that the booking was approved for that coming weekend. The e-mail also had an additional reminder:

‘Please be advised that our agency’s services are only until 9pm. You will still need to pay the minimum amount as per agreement. Thank you.’

\- Dream Life support team

JH: (Well, I guess there’s no going back now.)

The week went on and Jihyo could not get out of her mind Nayeon’s coming birthday for several reasons. First, of course, it was the older girl’s birthday. That alone was already a big deal. However, adding to that would be Minatozaki Sana.

She was really anxious of the situation as this was the first time she will be introducing her to her friends, something she hasn’t really considered from the very beginning of meeting the Japanese lady. Lastly, not even being able to contact Sana until the actual day was nerve racking for her. How did she feel getting booked every week? She accepted, so does that mean she was okay with such details? What will she be wearing on the weekend? Jihyo could only worry as she could not really get her personal contact number. She could only wait until the scheduled event.

Eventually, it was Nayeon’s birthday. Despite it being scheduled for later in the early evening, Jihyo woke up early. She was quite nervous with the entire mess up she has made and hoped that things would go smoothly. She tried to get ready early on as she still had an agenda to buy the girl she liked a birthday present. She went off and hurried to the nearest mall.

Jihyo remembered that Nayeon really liked a particular bracelet they both saw last month when the two of them with Jeongyeon hanged out together. As she noticed the birthday celebrant wasn’t wearing it the last time they saw each other, she figured that it might be a good choice to give it as a gift. After about half an hour, she made it to the store. Luckily, there was still one in stock so she didn’t hesitate purchase the said bracelet.

There was still some time left. Jihyo thought of something that she wanted to do for a bit of time now.

JH: (..Should I go back home? Or maybe.. no, I don’t really have to, right? But she has been really nice to me..)

Eventually, she came up with a decision on what to do and headed over to another store. She quickly browsed on the available items and eventually picked one out.

JH: (She would probably like this.. Well, I hope..)

Their celebration is about to start, so the young girl made her way to the reserved Karaoke bar where they will be enjoying everyone’s company. Luckily, Sana won’t be with them for at least two more hours which can give Jihyo some time to ready herself.

As Jihyo entered the venue and inquired at the reception, she was informed that a few people were already there. She headed straight to room 104 to join them. Upon opening the door, Nayeon’s classmates were inside singing and looked at the door. One of them spoke to her.

YR: “Oh! Jihyo, right? Long time no see!”

JH: “Yeah! It’s been a while, Yeri. You look great.”

YR: “Are you sure you’re not flirting with me?”

JH: “W-what!?”

Yeri laughed at Jihyo’s reaction.

YR: “HAHA! I’m just kidding~ We know you got a new girlfriend.”

The reply shocked the young girl as she didn’t expect the other girls to know about her so-called relationship.

JH: “W-where’s Nayeonie?”

YR: “Oh, probably in the restroom? Earlier she said that she’ll call you guys.”

Despite what Yeri said, Jihyo did not really receive a call. It was probably Jeongyeon that she called.

JH: “..By the way, what else do you know about Sana?”

YR: “Sana? Is that your girlfriend’s name? Not much, but Nayeon said you two were stuck like glue!”

JH: “T-that’s too much! It’s not like that!”

Jihyo realized that Nayeon really knew of what happened back there and told her classmates about it. This made her wonder how did it really affect Nayeon when she saw them on a date with Sana. In a bit, Nayeon also entered their reserved room.

NY: “Oh, Jihyo! I was about to call you! I’m glad you’re here.”

JH: “..Y-yeah. Happy Birthday, Nayeon-unnie.”

NY: “Thanks! Have you selected anything to sing yet?”

Jihyo was about to hand over her gift for her, but hesitated after thinking that Nayeon had the time to actually call her while in the restroom, but didn’t. She already went back to the Karaoke room, which was a very unlikely place to do a call. Nayeon didn’t have any intention to call her. She usually wouldn’t do this.

JH: “I just arrived a few minutes ago. I’ll select one now.”

In a few minutes, Jeongyeon arrived at the party.

JY: “Sorry I’m late. I had to finish a few things earlier.”

NY: “No worries! Anyway, I’m glad you made it!”

JY: “Anyway, here.”

Jeongyeon handed over a gift bag to the birthday girl. As soon as Nayeon opened it, Jihyo was in shock. She held tightly on her own gift as she just realized she may have already lost the opportunity to make an impression to her.

NY: “Aww, you bought this for me!? I always wanted this bracelet! Thank you!”

Jeongyeon got the same bracelet as her. She could have received the same reaction from the girl she liked if she didn’t hesitate to give her gift to her early on. Even so, she doubted that Nayeon would react the same way. This was because it was already obvious enough that it was Jeongyeon all this time that the older girl really liked.

NY: “By the way, did you get me anything, Jihyo?”

JH: “Y-yeah! I’ll give it to you.. later on. It’s.. not yet ready.”

NY: “..Not ready? You’re making me curious. Oh, and where’s your girlfriend?”

JY: “..Huh!? Jihyo has a girlfriend!?”

JH: “U-umm, sorry! I didn’t tell you she will be late today as she had some errands to attend to. She’ll be here at around 7pm.”

NY: “..I see. I’m curious to get to know her now.”

YR: “Hey, birthday girl! Your song is up next!”

NY: “Oh, wait!”

The party went on with all the singing, food and drinks. They all had a great time, but maybe with the exception of Jihyo. Things have not been going smoothly for her and felt a bit isolated from the rest. She wasn’t that close to Nayeon’s classmates, while the latter was ogling all of Jeongyeon’s attention right there.

JH: (..This pain is killing me.. I want to do something about it, but I might come looking awkward.. I need company.. I need Sana.. Please come here soon..)

The wait hasn’t felt any longer than what she is doing right now. Somehow, she knew she can be more confident with herself once Sana was there beside her, even just as a rental girlfriend.


	3. The Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frequently Asked Questions on the Person Rental business: 
> 
> Which countries commonly use this service? 
> 
> The rental business has been trending mostly in China, Japan, Singapore and Korea. However, females are rented more in China and Singapore, while males are more commonly rented in Korea. Japan has a fairly equal distribution of both. 
> 
> Are there some differences between each country’s service? 
> 
> Rules are mostly different. In China, some companies implement zero physical contact. While in Korea, most clients are foreigners and use the service more on tourism. Pricing is also another factor. Singapore is pretty expensive while Korea can be cheaper. 
> 
> What are the most common reasons for using this service? 
> 
> In most cases, people try to look for company to go on fine restaurants and have a date. Others use the service more to attend social gatherings with a partner. Tourism is also one of such reasons, and there are even those who use this to practice going on dates!

The wait felt like an eternity as Jihyo tried to blend in with everyone at the party. The time was already 7pm, and it was likely that Sana was already on her way. But how long? A few minutes, maybe? Hopefully she was close. She did accept the booking and Jihyo trusts her to be considerate about such as well.

NY: “Hey, it’s already a quarter past seven. Where’s your girlfriend?”

JH: “..Oh, she’ll be here any minute!”

NY: “..Are you sure? I haven’t seen you bring out your phone and text her or something..”

JH: “Yeah. I gave her the details. She’ll definitely come here..”

It was hard for Jihyo to get in touch with Sana, considering the fact that she wasn’t really allowed to get her contact number. But finally, someone knocked at their room’s door, drawing everyone’s attention. Jihyo hurried to open it, and there stood the girl she has been waiting for. The Japanese beauty immediately hugged her as soon as their eyes met, much to the surprise of Jihyo as she never did so before.

SN: “Hey babe~ Sorry for the delay! I came here as fast as I could.”

JH: “N-no worries! You must be tired. Come sit down.”

Sana had the brightest smile and waved at everyone else who was in the party, and bowed down afterwards.

SN: “Hello! I’m Minatozaki Sana, Jihyo’s girlfriend~”

JY: “H-hi!”

The other girls replied with a nod to the newcomer, completely in shock with how stunning she looked.

JH: “S-so, let me introduce everyone to you.! This is Nayeon-unnie, it’s her birthday today. Then she’s..”

As soon as Sana and Nayeon’s eyes met, the latter felt something different. She could not understand the feeling, looking at the girl that Jihyo chose over her. Sana smiled at her brightly as she greeted.

SN: “Happy birthday! Thank you for taking care of Jihyo all this time.”

Sana handed over a gift which looked like a box of chocolates.

NY: “..Thank you for coming too! Take a seat!”

Nayeon gestured at Sana to sit in front of her. Jihyo started to worry with what’s about to come. She very well knew that the older girl would be very interested in knowing more about her ‘girlfriend’. Now that they have met, she was bound to ask more questions about them.

SN: “..Can I go to the restroom first? Hehe.”

NY: “Sure.”

JH: “I’ll come with you.”

The pretend couple immediately went out and headed to the washroom. They were both finally alone and Jihyo let out a deep breath.

JH: *Sigh* “..I’m sorry, Sana. I got you mixed up on this one.”

Sana looked at her seriously, a look that she gave when they were also talking privately.

SN: “Don’t worry. I get requests that end up like this. Some men like bringing me to meet their friends and boasting about our relationship and such.”

JH: “I see. B-but is isn’t like that for me! I kind of had no choice.. Nayeonie saw us last week and wanted to invite you for her birthday as well.”

She can’t deny the fact that Sana was definitely worthy to show off and brag to your friends. However, it somewhat felt bad for Jihyo to be labelled similarly to those men.

SN: “..It’s okay. I believe in you. You’re definitely different. But I’d like to confirm one thing..”

JH: “..Y-yeah?”

SN: “..That girl Nayeon. She was the one who rejected you. Am I right?”

Jihyo could not respond verbally to Sana’s intuition and only gave a little nod as a confirmation. She was already more than embarrassed as she understood that her rental girlfriend realized the reasons as to why she got booked that evening.

SN: “Well, you better get ready. They’ll surely ask us questions later.”

JH: “..R-right.”

Sana then grabbed on her hand and smiled.

SN: “Let’s go back then~”

Yeah, this was a job for her. It already looked to good to be true. Who would brag about having a relationship with her? The way the other girls reacted towards her looked so real that she hoped it really was. Nonetheless, the next challenge is about making sure they are perceived to be a real couple by the end of the night.

As soon as they got back to the rest of the girls, Sana sat down in front of Nayeon who then handed her a bottle of soju. Sana gladly accepted and they both drank together. They all continued to eat and sing. Eventually, the birthday celebrant wanted to know more about Sana and asked some questions. The other girls were listening as well.

NY: “So.. How did you and Jihyo meet each other?”

As much as Jihyo wanted to prepare answering these questions with Sana, they didn’t really have the time and means of doing so. She may have started to worry, but the Japanese girl was used to this, and gave her answer to Nayeon. Sana told them that she met Jihyo at Seoul Cup Café one late afternoon. The place was jam packed and she was just sitting alone at one corner.

JY: “So, you were the one to first approach her?”

SN: “Yup! Jihyo was pretty shy at first. But it was really cute of her too~”

YR: “I can’t believe you met by such coincidence.”

JH: “W-well, I didn’t expect it too, hehe.”

Jihyo was surprised with Sana’s skills as a rental girlfriend. The way she used her words was very convincing that made the others believe her. As much as she wanted to not lie to Nayeon, Sana was doing this to save her from the embarrassment.

SW: “So, who fell in love first?”

JH: “..Huh?”

JN: “Yeah. It’s making me curious..”

Jihyo didn’t know what to say, as much as she wanted to say it was her, it might invalidate the feelings she held dearly for Nayeon. But Sana knew this, considering her reasons and given situation which made her speak up immediately.

SN: “Me, of course! The moment I sat and talked to her, I became really interested in getting to know Jihyo~”

JY: “Wow, your luck probably ran out by now, Jihyo. Sana’s such an amazing girl for you already.”

JH: “H-hey! What do you mean by that!?”

NY: “..So, what made you fall for her, Sana?”

As Nayeon started to ask more, Jihyo became even more bothered with her interest in this matter. She quieted down as she wanted to see how the older girl would react to Sana.

SN: “A lot, really. First of all, I love it that she speaks her mind. I also find her to be very pretty and easy to get along with~ When we first talked to each other, I didn’t even notice the time that passed!”

Jihyo blushed with all the compliments she was receiving from her rental girlfriend, wishing that all she said was true. Jihyo wasn’t sure about it, but Sana did really look like she enjoyed their first-time meeting a lot.

NY: “..I get what you mean, hehe. But isn’t it tough to go out with her?”

SN: “..Eh?”

NY: "Even at times, her way with her words gets her into trouble. It’s true that she’s fun to talk to, but can be very needy at times as well!”

SW: “W-wait, Nayeon..”

NY: “Not only that, she can be quite lazy when we make plans, and would at times leave most decisions to me or Jeongyeon. That’s why her indecisiveness can be a problem when we hang out!”

As Nayeon continued to talk about Jihyo, the latter felt like shrinking after hearing all those things coming from the girl that she liked.

JH: (..Is this how Nayeon-unnie sees me?)

JN: “Hey, Nayeon. Sto-“

NY: “And despite what people may think, she’s a big scaredy-cat! I don’t think she’d be comfortable alone so she’s very dependent of people around her. She reminds me of a little kid!”

SN: “…”

JH: “..Hehe..”

JY: “Nayeon, that’s too much now! You’re already drunk.”

NY: “I’m not. I’m just-“

Suddenly, Sana slammed both her hands on the end table and stood up, looking angrily at Nayeon. Everybody else stopped what they were doing and silently spectated what was going on. Her eyes locked on her as if she won’t hesitate to hit the older girl should she say another word.

SN: “DON’T YOU DARE TALK BAD ABOUT MY JIHYO!!”

JH: “S-Sana!”

NY: “..Huh? S-sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

SN: “Isn’t that what you are doing!? You’re so carefree in saying all these things and look at her now!”

Jihyo immediately grabbed one of Sana’s hands to somewhat stop a fight starting between the two of them.

JH: “..It’s okay, Sana.. What Nayeonie said.. is true anyway. Don’t get mad at her.. It’s her birthday too and probably had a lot of alcohol already..”

Sana looked at Jihyo and could not believe what she was saying right now, making her feel irritated. Out of frustration, she took her purse and went out of the room. Tension was high inside and Jeongyeon tried to break it.

JY: “H-hey! Your song’s up next, Nayeon! Give us a good one!”

NY: “..R-right.”

Nayeon grabbed on the microphone and started to sing. Meanwhile, Jeongyeon silently approached Jihyo and whispered to her.

JY: *Hey, don’t you think you should go after your girl? She looked like she didn’t like your response earlier..*

JH: *..Yeah. I’ll go after her.. Thanks, Jeongyeon.”

Jihyo excused herself from the awkward atmosphere and went outside trying to look for Sana. Unfortunately, she didn’t have her contact number so she only hoped that the girl was not so faraway. As soon as she got to the main entrance of the Karaoke house, she saw her sitting by the lobby’s bench. Jihyo slowly approached her trying to evaluate the situation. She sat down beside her.

JH: “..You didn’t leave?”

SN: “..You booked me for tonight, Jihyo. I need to go back in there with you. I just need to calm down..”

JH: “..Sorry.”

SN: “You don’t have to apologize.”

JH: “..But why did you have to say that to Nayeonie?”

SN: “..I’m your girlfriend, Jihyo. I wouldn’t let anyone say anything nasty to you.”

JH: “…”

SN: “Besides, I don’t think you really are that kind of person.”

Sana’s words hit Jihyo differently. Although for her, it must only be because they haven’t had a long time together. Sure, it may have just been an act, but somehow, she felt that the real Sana would stand up like that the same way she did before.

JH: “..Thanks. But please get along with Nayeon-unnie.”

SN: “..Before we go back. Can you tell me what you like about her?”

In a way, such question made Jihyo feel that the Japanese girl beside her is starting to get closer to her by knowing more about her life.

JH: “..Despite what you may have seen from her just now, she has always been very supportive of me. She can be really frank with her words, but her actions speak more of her good character.”

Sana did not speak another word after hearing her client’s answer. She very well knew that her words won’t be enough to convince the younger girl about how Nayeon really feels. Being clouded with her judgement because of her emotions will not lead to her understanding it.

JH: “..Can you apologize to Nayeon-unnie? It’s her birthday today and I don’t want her to feel bad.”

SN: “..Okay, let’s go.”

The two girls went back to the party where Sana politely apologized in losing her temper. Nayeon as well was sorry for suddenly saying those things to her.

The party went on with lesser interaction between Sana and Nayeon while Jihyo tried to make sure it wasn’t awkward for the two girls. With the eventual finish of the party, the girls were about to leave and head home.

SW: “Thanks for tonight, Nayeon! It’s been fun!”

NY: “Thanks everyone! I really enjoyed my birthday because of all of you!”

Sana, Jihyo, Nayeon, and Jeongyeon were the only ones left.

NY: “Me and Jeongyeon will be heading this direction. Are you two fine by yourselves?”

JH: “..We’ll be fine, Nayeonie. Thank you.”

SN: “It was nice meeting everyone.”

JY: “Take care you two.”

NY: “Let’s hang out again some other time!”

The two older girls have left them. Jihyo also knew that she had to say goodbye to Sana as it was already 9pm. She handed over the envelop containing the money.

JH: “..Thanks, Sana. And sorry for dragging you into this.”

SN: “It’s no problem, really! As long as you’re happy with what I do as your girlfriend, everything is fine~”

JH: “Are you heading home now? You can drop the girlfriend act. It’s already 9pm.”

Sana did not respond. She looked at her watch and then to the night sky after eventually replying.

SN: “..I’ll make an exception today~ Let’s continue until 10pm.”

Jihyo was surprised to hear Sana’s response. Immediately, she thought that there might be something going on as to why she was fine extending for an hour.

JH: “A-are you sure? I mean, your contract says it’s until nine only..”

SN: “It is, don’t worry. I don’t feel like going home yet. Besides, it’s just wrong of the company to charge you three hours still. You can take this as an apology for the commotion I caused.”

Jihyo couldn’t help but smile afterwards. This act of Sana really convinced her that she does not do this for the money only, as she genuinely cared about her client’s satisfaction.

JH: “..You’re a really nice girl, Sana. Thanks a lot.”

SN: “So, where are we headed, babe?”

Sana and Jihyo continued with whatever little time they had left for the evening, heading to Han River with a cup of hot chocolate.

JH: “Fall is about to start so it is getting colder.”

SN: “Thanks for the chocolate, Jihyo! It’s making me warm.”

With them both sitting by the riverside, Jihyo somewhat more comfortable than earlier. Nayeon’s party really made her worry. But now, just being by Sana’s side made her forget all her problems earlier.

JH: “..Say, Sana.”

SN: “..Hmm?”

JH: “..What do you think of me? I mean, after everything Nayeonie said.. be honest, okay?”

SN: “…”

Sana took a sip of her chocolate and looked at the currents of the river.

SN: “..I’m kind of glad to know more about you.”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “I mean, people tend to only show their good side because they want to be liked. However, showing the real you, both good and bad qualities are really important.”

JH: “…”

SN: “..Nayeon-unnie probably knows you very well. That’s why she is able to say all those things.”

JH: “..Do you think.. unnie and I.. can be a thing in the future?”

SN: “…”

The silence made it so that Jihyo felt it was a no. She took a sip of her chocolate and the Japanese girl responded.

SN: “..Maybe. And I’m not saying this as your girlfriend. We’ll never know what may happen you know.”

JH: “..I see.”

Despite it sounding like Sana wanted her to cheer up and hear something she would like, this is what the Japanese girl was really thinking. She knew that Jihyo was still affected by Nayeon’s rejection, and thus is in a very vulnerable state. This is why it lead her to asking something she hasn’t ever done to other people.

SN: “..Will you book me again next weekend?”

JH: “W-what?”

SN: “I’d like you to cheer up more, Jihyo. Today’s events made me feel like.. I didn’t really do well as your girlfriend. I’ll make it up to you the next time you book me.”

As much as Jihyo wanted to, she’s spending a lot of money just to go out on dates with her. It would be great if they were a real couple and would go out every weekend, but this was just a job for her. Still, hearing that from Sana made her feel that the girl is showing more care towards her. It might not be just towards her, but she felt happy to experience such feeling.

JH: “N-no, you’ve done a lot already, really.. to be honest, I’m kind of embarrassed to book you every weekend.”

SN: “..Really? I was looking forward to it already next weekend. It’s becoming a routine for me.”

JH: “T-then let’s set that up already, hehe..”

Jihyo brought out her phone and opened Dream Life, making the booking for the next weekend.

SN: “..I’ll make sure you forget all your problems in life next weekend~ okay?”

JH: “T-thanks!”

If Jihyo were to admit it, she was already forgetting all of her problems that day because of Sana. No doubt about it, she was becoming more interested with her. She just couldn’t translate it romantically knowing that it probably wouldn’t work out for them both. If Jihyo had any problem at that point, it will really be about the money. If she really wishes to keep this renting with Sana up, she needed to find a part time job really soon.

SN: “..About time we go home now, Jihyo. Thank you for tonight~”

JH: “..Thanks a lot, Sana. You really helped me big time today.”

SN: “..There’s something I wish to ask of you though..”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “..Do you plan on keeping this girlfriend act with your friends for a long time?”

Right there was another reality check for Jihyo. Her relationship with Sana was only through a contract and keeping it for a long time would just make things worse. Of course, the best way to avoid further issues in the future is to say that they both ‘broke up’ with each other. Going further might involve more people like family, or even others that might know about Sana. This lead Jihyo to become speechless without any definite answer.

SN: “..Don’t worry. I’m fine with whatever your decision is. I just want you to make sure you’re able to manage your funds well while we do this.”

JH: “Sana..”

The older girl smiled at her as she gave her assurance to Jihyo.

SN: “I’ll be happy to be your girlfriend for as long as you need me~”

Jihyo blushed and tried to look away after hearing her words. Hearing her willing to stay by her side for a long time is definitely something she’d like. But the contract itself was the one binding them together.

JH: “..T-thanks, Sana. Go home safely, okay?”

SN: “Goodnight~”

Sana then left Jihyo’s side to go home while the latter stood still looking at the girl’s back as she begins to lose sight of her. It may have taken some time, but she knew something was already different happening to her ever since that day.

JH: “..I think.. I’m falling in love with her..”


	4. The Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why do some people dislike the Person Rental business?
> 
> \- It creates an illusion that the person lives a good life. Having a good looking partner while you walk around or attend parties is an ego boost. However, several people can get carried away as this is just temporary.
> 
> \- It costs a lot of money. Not everybody is well off in financial needs and the service itself is pretty costly on some living standards, in most cases costing more than the actual date. This makes it look like the agents are just in for the money, and sometimes use this as a mean to get married with a rich person.
> 
> \- The industry has a dark side. There are those who see this industry as a means of getting sexual favors easily as long as you have some money. This puts a lot of harm to agents, and makes people see the work to be very indecent.
> 
> \- It breaks relationships. Agents who work in this industry could often be reasons why couples on the verge of breaking up end up happening as the client falls in love with them.

The following day, Jihyo woke up late as she couldn’t rest after everything that happened the previous day. As much as she wanted to contact Sana, she had to wait for an entire week before she can do so. She sat up knowing that she has one particular goal in mind, which was to find a part-time job. This is a common thing to do to many university students these days not only to gain work experience, but to aid their financial needs, or even wants.

She tried to look up on her phone any job openings around her area. Of course it’s not going to be easy. Most of them require work experience already. This is why she knew that she had to go look around the city herself in order to find a job. It was strange for her though. Jihyo never thought of looking for work while still studying. However, this girl she has been infatuating on drives her to do things beyond her personal reasoning.

As soon as Jihyo finished eating instant noodles for breakfast, she took a bath and got ready for her day. The weather was pretty chilly so she made sure to keep herself warm.

And so, the hunt for a job begins. Jihyo did not have any particular choice for work, but looked more on options that aren’t far from her home. She checked out restaurants, both fine dining and fast food, cafés, and some administrative jobs. She had no luck in searching for one as most of them weren’t hiring or already had part-time workers.

By around 2pm, she still has no luck. Jihyo took a break and had a late lunch at McDonald’s. While eating, she thought of checking out Dream Life again and naturally brought herself back on Sana’s profile.

JH: (..I wonder what she’s doing right now? She’s probably on a date with someone..)

Immediately, a thought came to her mind as she was looking at her phone.

JH: (..What if I.. No, that’s.. I can’t do that.)

It was definitely a plausible idea. Becoming a rental girlfriend will solve her monetary concerns, but Jihyo felt that it was too awkward for her, and didn’t want money to be her main reason for doing so. Sana had a good reason, but for her, it felt like something she can’t do.

It was finally time for her to go back into job hunting and have decided to not be very picky about her choices. She went from store to store, trying to make sure she could qualify for a job. After two hours, her efforts finally paid off as one Japanese restaurant made a consideration.

M: “I’m not sure if we can give you a part-time job here, but we need some staff on the evening shift since two of our employees are sick. If you could follow instructions well, then we might consider.”

JH: “Y-yes! Thank you so much!”

Jihyo bowed down to show her gratitude from getting at least an opportunity to work that day. During some free time, Jihyo tried to learn the ropes from some staff working there particularly in some easy food preparation. She was also tasked to take care of the dishes.

Service began at around 5:30pm and there are a large number of customers coming in. As simple as Jihyo’s task may be, she made sure to not cause any blunder to make a good impression. Still, washing dishes wasn’t a joke. Especially when she had to do it continuously for hours.

After two hours of doing the same routine, Jihyo started to feel some fatigue. Her hands would sometimes almost slip from washing the plates and bowls she was handling. Still, she worked hard to make sure she gets an opportunity to work there.

Eventually, things slowed down as there were less customers coming in. With some time to take it easy, the restaurant’s manager approached the temporary worker.

M: “Jihyo, right? Thanks for helping us out today. We were able to serve all the orders on time.”

JH: “I’m glad to be of help!”

M: “..I guess there’s no harm in hiring another part-timer. I’ll talk to the upper management about this.”

JH: “T-THANK YOU!”

For the first time, Jihyo felt a lot of fulfillment with what she did. It was her first time really working hard to earn something on her own. Of course, it was for the sake of seeing Sana regularly, and she was willing to work hard for it.

Jihyo and the manager fixed the schedule she was going to have making sure it will be convenient both for her and match with the restaurant’s needs.

M: “Okay. See you tomorrow then, Jihyo.”

The young girl returned back to her home feeling accomplished as she was able to land a job that could help sustain her expenses. As much as she wanted to share such news, she had no one to talk to. Regardless for her situation, she will be able to sustain renting Sana if she continues with this job.

That following day, she still had classes to attend to until the afternoon. This was not a problem for her as she has always been a bright student that can catch up with her lessons. After her classes, Jeongyeon approached her.

JY: “Hey, Jihyo. Wanna hang out today?”

JH: “Oh, Jeong. Sorry, hehe. I have stuff to do. Maybe next time.”

This was a surprise to her close friend as they didn’t really have any pending school work nor exams to finish. Jihyo didn’t want to talk about it yet, as it may come as a big surprise and make them visit where she’s working.

JY: “By the way, everything okay with Sana and Nayeon?”

JH: “..Huh? Y-yeah. Sana’s okay now.”

JY: “..I hope you forgive Nayeon’s words two days ago.”

JH: “..I don’t I’d ever hate Nayeon-unnie though.”

JY: “Well, see you tomorrow then.”

Jihyo hurried to the restaurant for her first official day working there despite still having about an hour before her shift starts. As soon as she arrives, she went to the staff lounge and saw a girl she hasn’t seen yesterday. Trying to make sure things don’t get awkward, Jihyo started the conversation.

JH: “H-hi! My name’s Jihyo. I’m a new part-timer here. Do you work here too?”

??: “..Eh?”

The other girl looked at her surprised to hear about her working there. Now that Jihyo had a better look at the other girl, she noticed that she looked like a Japanese with short hair and her uniform was that from the neighboring university close to hers.

JH: “S-sorry, did I make a mistake?”

??: “No, I’m working part-time here too! Manager-oppa didn’t tell me about you though. Anyway, just call me Momo!”

JH: “Momo? It’s nice meeting you today.”

MM: “Same! Let’s eat~”

JH: “Oh, I ate already?”

MM: “Really? Too bad.”

For the next few minutes, Jihyo just sat there waiting and fiddling on her phone while Momo continued to eat her meal. The former didn’t really know how to continue the conversation with someone she just met. Thus, it became awkward for her. Still, the Japanese girl didn’t seem to mind.

Eventually, the restaurant’s manager arrived, surprised with how early the two were. He gave proper introductions for the two and learned that Momo the one who was sick yesterday, but now feeling better.. She has also been working there for three months already and is in-charge of preparing a few dishes.

JH: “So, what will I be doing, manager?”

M: “For now, you’ll still do the dishes. But I plan on having you take orders from customers and serve them.”

JH: “Okay.”

M: “We’ve already prepared your uniform too so check if it fits you well. Both your shifts start in ten minutes, okay?”

MM: “Okie dokie~”

Jihyo changed to her working clothes and felt more in the mood with working part-time. She’s really doing this thing and she’s glad that she’s able to do something fulfilling instead of just wasting it.

MM: “Hey, Jihyo-ssi.”

JH: “..Jihyo-ssi?”

MM: “Why did you decide to start working?”

JH: “..Huh? W-well, I need the extra cash you know.”

MM: “For what?”

JH: “Uhh, a-anything! How about you?”

MM: “Well, if I work hard, I can eat delicious things. Right?”

JH: “Err.. r-right.”

MM: “We’ll be working together for a long time. Let’s get along!”

JH: “Y-yeah!”

Service began on that Monday and there were a regular number of customers coming in and out. Jihyo was in-charge of dishwashing and while service was slow, she is learning more about the entire menu as she will be taking orders after some time. Overall, it was a good day and Jihyo felt confident that she could do even better for the next few days.

The cycle repeated itself for the next few days. Wake up, go to school, go to work, go back home and rest. Jihyo didn’t really have the time to spend with Nayeon and Jeongyeon, but it was fine for her. To her, they have a strongly established friendship already that definitely won’t die just because they don’t spend that much time together recently.

By Friday, Jihyo was already tasked to take orders. It was a bit awkward to her at first, considering that she’s not really the social type of person, but she’s getting there.

As there were a lot of people on the last day of the week, the place got a lot busier than the past few days. There were a few mistakes in orders here and there, but this was part of learning something new for her. Fortunately, there wasn’t one person she knew that visited that day.

At the end of her shift, their manager called on Jihyo at the back office. He then handed over an envelop containing her first paycheck. But even more so than the money, a sense of accomplishment is what matters to her.

M: “You’re doing well, Jihyo. I’m really glad you decided to work with us. You deserve it.”

JH: “T-thank you!”

The manager left her and Momo in the back office as he needed to return to the restaurant already.

MM: “Hey, Jihyo-ssi. Wanna have dinner together? I found a place with good army stew for at least two people, hehe.”

JH: “..Huh? Err.. M-maybe next time? I have stuff to do tonight..”

MM: “Aww really? You don’t have school tomorrow, right?”

JH: “..Yeah, sorry. Next time, maybe?”

MM: “Sure! See you on tomorrow’s shift!”

Momo left right after and Jihyo was left alone. As she was packing her belongings, she kind of felt bad for saying no to Momo’s invitation. It’s not that she didn’t like her company. Rather, she was too focused on tomorrow’s date with Sana and would like to save as much money as possible. Still, it was definitely not a bad idea to spend more time with a new friend. She headed back home and immediately rested upon arrival, excited to meet her new infatuation.

The following morning, Jihyo still had a shift for part-time work from the late morning. Despite this, she can’t get her mind off Sana as she thought where will they be going, what will she wear and what will they do. She kept on imagining the endless possibilities as she headed to work.

Upon arrival, she saw Momo getting ready already.

JH: “Hi, Momo. Sorry for yesterday. How was the stew?”

MM: “Great! You should come with us next time!”

JH: “..Us?”

MM: “Oh, I went with a friend there. They give a discount for at least two people, hehe. Wanna go there tomorrow?”

JH: “I see.. Okay, I’ll come next time!”

Their shift began and was able to work smoothly. As it was a Saturday afternoon, things were pretty busy at the restaurant. In a way, Jihyo was distracted knowing that she was going on a date with Sana right after her shift. A few mistakes were made, but she was able to save some of them. However, for that day’s shift, there was an unexpected customer that arrived. As soon as she entered the main entrance, Jihyo stood there somewhat panicking as her arrival caught her off-guard. The girl did not come alone as she was side by side with a man who was pretty good-looking and seemed like her date at that time.

JH: (S-SANA!? Why is she here!?)

The Japanese girl looked all smiling talking to the person accompanying her as they both sat down at one corner. To make things worse, Jihyo was the one taking orders for that particular table Sana sat on. Jihyo tried to ask another waiter if she could take their order. However, she was too busy and they usually don’t do that at the restaurant as they follow everything by the book.

Before approaching their table, Jihyo observed her. Slowly, it became more and more painful to watch seeing how perfect of a girlfriend Sana looked. Eyes gazing at her partner, a smile that could brighten any person’s day, and a laugh that gives you life. The only downside right there was that it wasn’t her sitting with Sana.

Jihyo took a deep breath and slowly approached her table. Not seeing her presence yet, Jihyo took the initiative to speak.

JH: “G-Good afternoon! May I take your order?”

The voice sounded too familiar for Sana as she looked to the waitress’ side. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she was able to learn why that voice was very particular to her. Hoping to not lose composure, Sana gave her a smile. Jihyo on the other hand, replied with one too but looked forced. Of course this was a very unpleasant feeling for Jihyo, as she is starting to like Sana. But she definitely had to understand that this was Sana’s job. It’s not as if she’s cheating on her as they don’t have a relationship in the first place, leaving her with no choice but to accept the current situation.

SN: “Umm.. One Misokatsu, Gyudon and a special sushi set! Oh and two iced tea!”

JH: “G-got it. Please wait for about five minutes..”

Jihyo went ahead without even trying to double check the order. She was pretty sure she got it right, it’s just that she didn’t want to spend a single minute more right there.

She resumed taking orders from other tables but her eyes would always divert towards Sana. She was definitely losing focus. Their date hasn’t even started and she wasn’t feeling happy about it. In about two hours, Sana will go on a date with her as if nothing happened. Jihyo knew this was the price to pay for starting to like a rental girlfriend.

As soon as her order was done, Jihyo served it without saying a word. Sana noticed that Jihyo was definitely feeling unhappy with the present situation, but there wasn’t really anything that could be done. Jihyo wanted to divert attention, but this is her work, similar with Sana who’s working as well. As the stream of customers slowed down and no orders were being made, Jihyo made her way into the kitchen to get some rest.

MM: “Hey, Jihyo-ssi. You look stressed. Everything okay?”

JH: “..Yeah. Just.. give me a few minutes.”

She was definitely distracted. She can’t wait for Sana to go already, not that she didn’t want her presence. At this point Jihyo isn’t even looking forward to her date with her later. What was for just about half an hour felt like an eternity to her.

Eventually, Sana and her date was done as she tried to call for the bill. Jihyo headed there and handed it over. Not wanting to wait for her awkwardly, she tried to check on other tables as well, Sana gestured again to her, got the payment and headed to the counter. At this point, she really wanted to talk to her, but it’s best that they don’t.

Jihyo handed over the change and receipt.

JH: “..Thank you for dining.”

Jihyo bowed down to her two customers and went back to work even before Sana was able to reply. Despite it not being customary in South Korea, the Japanese girl left an envelope on the table.

??: “..What’s that?”

SN: “Just a tip for the waitress who served us~ Let’s go now.”

??: “..In an envelope? Weird.. Well, okay.”

Sana and her company left the restaurant as Jihyo saw them leave with her peripheral view. As she headed back to their table, she noticed an envelope pinned down by the bowl Sana ate with. She looked it up and opened the content, wondering if it was accidentally left by her.

JH: (..Huh? This is..)

Jihyo pulled out a total of 170,000 Korean Won bills, which would basically be the exact fee of Sana’s rental service. Other than this, she noticed one note inside the envelope as well and written there was:

“See you later~! ”

The younger girl was left speechless. She was feeling bad earlier thinking about things negatively but Sana was looking forward to their time later. Plus, she understood the latter’s gesture of leaving such a crazy amount as a tip for her. Now that it was clear, she was finally able to smile again and continue to work now.

It’s not a surprise for Jihyo with how much influence Sana had in her mood. She knows she likes the girl, and that’s why she’s doing all these things.

Finally, her shift that day was over and could now focus on the date. She quickly got changed and hurried to a Cat Café, where they agreed to meet up. About half an hour was the remaining time. It was going to be a long wait. Nonetheless, she was looking forward to seeing her now. Jihyo sipped on a smoothie while waiting for her to arrive and looked at the felines sleeping peacefully. Before she knew it, she heard her voice calling out to her.

SN: “Hey, Jihyo~ did you wait long?”

Jihyo turned to her voice’s direction and saw her infatuation, still wearing the same beautiful dress she had earlier as well as the radiant smile she really liked. It was painful to see her early on when she had a different date. But now begins the time she really liked, the Sana that is her girlfriend for the next three hours. This time was her sanctuary, a time she can feel happy despite all the issues she had earlier.

JH: “I’m fine, Sana. Why don’t you sit down?”

Sana sat down beside her and Jihyo called for the menu so her date could choose a drink. After making her order, Sana opened up the topic.

SN: “I’m a little surprised you worked there, hehe.”

JH: “..I didn’t expect to see you too. Did you.. have fun?”

Jihyo didn’t mean to ask question, but it kept running on her mind as she really got jealous earlier seeing Sana laugh and smile in front of another person. She wanted to be that guy earlier, even if Sana was just rented. Before Sana answered she softly grabbed on Jihyo’s hand and gradually gripped it firmly, making the younger girl blush.

SN: “That’s not important anymore, okay? What’s important is how we enjoy our time together~”

JH: “..You really have your way with your words, hehe. I get into trouble when I say things.”

SN: “People just don’t understand you, but I’m willing to listen, okay?”

Sana was really good with her words, as Jihyo started to get really embarrassed with how the older girl made her feel better.

JH: “Thanks.. Anyway, what’s with the money you left earlier?”

SN: “That’s my tip for you~”

JH: “..But the amount is-“

SN: “I told you last week, right? I want to make up with what happened back then. Making you pay for today doesn’t fit me well.”

JH: “It’s not like I don’t have money, you know.”

SN: “..Well, when did you start working in that restaurant? I usually go there but it was my first time seeing you there too.”

JH: “Err.. last week.”

SN: “I knew it. Anyway, today’s date is on me. You’ve been really nice to me too so I want to do this~”

As Jihyo handed over the said envelope, she felt that this was something completely different with Sana. As if she was talking not just as a rental girlfriend, but even more on the personal side. That for her was even better than just acting as a girlfriend, as she is able to learn more about the Japanese girl’s real self outside her job. And so, Jihyo was finally able to wholeheartedly smile.

JH: “Thanks a lot, Sana.”

Sana’s drink arrived and they began talking about pretty much any topic under the sun while adoring all their feline friends scattered around the café.

SN: “So, where would you like to go next?”

JH: “Hmm.. Haven’t really thought of it. Just hanging out with you today makes me feel much better.”

SN: “Aww, that’s so sweet of you~”

Jihyo was definitely happy that day. Hearing Sana respond to her compliments in such a way was a big deal for her.

SN: “By the way, how are things with you and Nayeon-unnie?”

JH: “..Oh, it’s okay. I guess?”

SN: “Well that’s good to hear. Just make sure you’d always be nice to her!”

In reality, Jihyo wasn’t sure. She didn’t come in contact with Nayeon ever since her birthday celebration. It’s not that she didn’t want to see her. Rather, didn’t really know what to say the next time they meet. What’s more is the fact that for Jihyo, trying to hold on to her feelings for the older girl desperately is not really going to lead her anywhere. But even if she thinks of it this way, the same can be said with her developing feelings with Sana. Jihyo doesn’t realize it, but she’s just making an excuse.

After about an hour or so, they left the café and went to a nearby bookstore as Jihyo needed to purchase something she needs at school. After doing so, they both had an early dinner at one traditional Korean food restaurant, next spending the rest of their time just walking around.

With Sana casually holding on her hand as they strolled around the streets, there was not a better feeling that Jihyo could have at that time. Nothing except if this dream would become a reality to her.

However, time you wish to enjoy more sometimes ends up running so fast, and the three hours is already up as Sana’s alarm said so. Jihyo’s smile slowly faded. Sana did notice this as she asked her a question.

SN: “..Did you have fun today?”

JH: “..Yeah. It’s really fun that I didn’t notice time’s already up.”

SN: “..Hehe, it doesn’t mean that we won’t see each other again, right?”

JH: “..Yeah.”

At the end of the day, Sana remains as just a rental girlfriend, a temporary happiness that fills in the gap in Jihyo’s heart. This is the reason why she also still can’t let go of her feelings for Nayeon as she is afraid of committing the same mistake of falling in love with someone she can’t have, despite both being wrong.

Sana checked on her phone to scan the messages she received during the date. As Jihyo saw this, she thought of asking something she knew was prohibited within contract rules. Still, she wanted to take a risk.

JH: “..Can I get your number?”

Sana immediately looked at Jihyo who then tried to divert her eyes elsewhere, making the older girl giggle and reply.

SN: “I’d love to, but it’s not really allowed in our service agreement, hehe..”

JH: “..Hehe, I understand.”

At least for Jihyo, it was worth a try even if she knew Sana wasn’t really going to break the company rules. However, Sana did something unexpected at the end of their date. The older girl moved closer to her and gave a warm hug to her, making Jihyo turn red.

JH: “S-SANA!?”

SN: “I can make an exception with this, hehe~ take care on your way home, okay?”

JH: “Y-you too..”

Sana let go of her embrace with the younger girl as she waved goodbye and walked away slowly. Jihyo immediately reminisced that hug from her infatuation. It was a warm feeling. Her frame was small, but she could definitely feel how she was comfortably holding her. As much as Jihyo wanted to, she resisted hugging her back, as she didn’t really want to look like taking advantage of the situation. More and more, her heart keeps falling for Sana. She knew that if ever Sana hugs her again, she won’t be able to resist to hug her back.

As Sana disappeared from her sight yet again, she let out a deep sigh as her wishful thinking of contacting her more often still persists. It isn’t possible right now, but maybe, just maybe, she will reach that point. Jihyo returned home still feeling the warmth that Sana covered her with. That night, Jihyo had a really good sleep, one of the best she had in years, all thanks to one Minatozaki Sana.

The following morning, Jihyo woke up on a bright day. The weather was good, not very cold and just the right temperature. As she looked at her phone, she saw one message.

Hirai Momo

“Hey, Jihyo-ssi! Let’s eat together at the Korean Army Stew place for lunch! There’s still something we want to try on the menu. I’ll send you the location.”

Jihyo didn’t have anything to do and it was a day-off for her. She figured that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend time with Momo and expand her circle of friends, especially with the fact that she didn’t really pay for the date yesterday. The younger girl replied and confirmed to Momo that she will be heading there as well. Jihyo got ready and was in a good mood after yesterday’s events. She followed the directions sent to her and made it to the restaurant just in time. The aroma in the place smells really good and appetizing, exciting her to eat her first meal for the day.

Jihyo entered the restaurant and tried to look for her workmate. However, it looked like she was the first one who got there. Instead, she already sat on table, looked at the menu until the Japanese girl arrived.

In a few minutes, Jihyo heard her particular voice as she knew that her newest friend finally made it there.

MM: “Oh, you came here fast!”

JH: “Yeah, I woke up a little early and had nothing to do. So I-“

As soon as Jihyo looked at Momo, another person caught her attention. Little did she know that she’d find someone in a very different situation that goes beyond what she was used to. Call it coincidence by many, but Jihyo would call it as fate. She knew that she was going to meet Momo’s friend who accompanied her last Friday to this place. But she did not really know that it’s such a small world that they are living in. She was in shock upon learning about this, similarly how this friend Momo has was as well. Not one soul would look as beautiful as the girl accompanying Momo, as it was the very girl that has been making her happy for quite some time already.

JH: “S-SANA!?”


	5. The Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Park Jihyo and Minatozaki Sana meet each other again. This time through their common friend, Hirai Momo, who doesn't seem to have any idea about Sana's work. Decisions will be made, resolves will be tested, and a new trial awaits.

SN: “EH!?”

Sana was just as equally surprised as Jihyo as she didn’t expect her client to meet her again, this time off-duty.

MM: “Wait, you know each other already? How?”

JH: “Ah, well yesterday-“

SN: “I saw her at the restaurant you’re working at, Momoring! I remember her because she’s pretty and her nameplate!”

MM: “Oh, right. Wait, you didn’t tell me you’d drop by yesterday!”

SN: “..It slipped my mind, hehe~”

JH: “S-so.. you’re classmates?”

MM: “Yup! Sa-tan and I came to Japan at the same time and coincidentally got the same endorsement to study in Yonsei University.”

SN: “Y-yeah.. hehe. We’ve been friends ever since.”

JH: “..That’s interesting!”

It definitely felt awkward for Jihyo as she has already met Sana but in a very different situation. This is the girl she likes outside of work. And as she expected, she still possesses the same qualities of the girl she really likes. A real natural. Now, she is finally able to know even just a bit more information about her.

SN: “Shall we order food now?”

MM: “Yeah! I’m hungry.”

As they ordered food and started to eat, Jihyo’s eyes would usually rest at Sana. However, she would immediately look away once the girl would look at her too. It was really refreshing for her to see the girl not acting to be a girlfriend. What worried her though is how Sana is feeling right now since they really didn’t expect to see each other in this situation.

JH: “So, do you both study the same thing?”

MM: “Nope! I’m in Nutrition while Sa-tan took Psychology.”

JH: (..Psychology? I guess that explains why Sana is so good at dealing with people.)

SN: “Y-yeah! We just hangout after class at times since we’re both Japanese.”

JH: “I see..”

Jihyo was slowly learning more about Sana that the latter wouldn’t really talk about should she be renting her. In a way, it made her happy but hearing the girl’s voice made her feel that Sana was anxious about sharing these things.

MM: “Actually, I wanted Sa-tan to work at the restaurant with me too so we spend more time together. But she said that she-“

SN: “AH! This stew is yummier than the one we had before! It’s so well-seasoned!”

JH: “R-really? Which one did you try before?”

SN: “This one!”

Sana pointed at the menu’s item.

JH: “Oh, w-well the more we know, right? Haha.”

SN: “Yeah!”

Jihyo understood what was going on, Momo didn’t know about Sana’s job and was trying to keep it a secret by avoiding the topic. She thought that the girl she likes was worried that she might tell Momo what her job is. Talking about being a rental girlfriend would definitely be something not accepted by many even today as there are people who think it’s a business taking advantage of others.

In a way, Sana felt that Jihyo got her signal. She tapped on the younger girl’s foot under the table, getting her attention before speaking.

SN: “Umm, I’ll head to the washroom for a bit~”

MM: “Oh, okay!”

JH: “I’ll go too.”

Sana and Jihyo both headed to the washroom together. As soon as they entered, Sana had a sigh of relief.

SN: “..Thanks for covering up for me, Jihyo.”

JH: “It’s fine. I kind of understood what was going on. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to know Momo.”

SN: “It’s the same for me. Can you.. keep it a secret from her? Momo’s really nice but I don’t think I’m comfortable enough to tell her about my job..”

JH: “Of course!”

SN: “Thanks.. And also..”

JH: “..Hmm?”

SN: “Please don’t leave any reviews or send messages to the agency about what you learned about me today.. You and I might get into trouble.”

JH: “..You can count on me, Sana.”

SN: “Thanks, Jihyo!”

Sana looked much better now that she was able to talk to Jihyo. The latter‘s confidence somewhat grew as it’s like she’s keeping a shared secret with her infatuation, as if they are becoming closer rather than just being a rental girlfriend.

They both returned back to Momo and continued to eat their lunch. Sana was able to speak much better and sounded more natural doing so as Jihyo could feel the same vibe she liked about her. They talked about random things and Jihyo could learn a little more about Sana’s personal life. After about an hour and a half, they finished eating and paid for their bill.

MM: “So, are you heading anywhere today, Jihyo-ssi?”

JH: “Well, I don’t really have plans. Why?”

MM: “Sa-tan and I will go grocery shopping. Wanna come?”

JH: “Oh, s-sure!”

The three girls went to the nearest local grocery to purchase some food. Particularly they had two carts. One for Momo and the other for Sana. Not being much of a cook, Jihyo still tried to help out the two from getting what they need. The younger girl noticed what Sana was putting in her cart.

JH: “You’re making… cake?”

SN: “Y-yeah, hehe.."

MM: “Sa-tan will be baking cake for a special someone’s coming birthday, hehe.”

JH: “W-WHAT!?”

SN: “N-no! It’s not like that!”

MM: “Hooo~ really? You even asked me to teach you today.”

Jihyo was surprised to hear about this. She wondered if Sana really had a special someone. Of course, the possibility is there considering how wonderful it would be to call Sana your girlfriend. She was bound to have a special someone despite working in the rental business. This somewhat affected her feeling that she had no chance to be with her in the first place.

SN: “I told you it’s not like that!”

JH: “..T-that person will be really lucky to get a cake from you! Hehe..”

Sana noticed that Jihyo seem affected hearing about that.

SN: “Don’t believe what Momoring is saying here, okay?”

Jihyo couldn’t completely believe Sana’s words. Just by looking at her shopping cart, you wouldn’t really learn how to bake a cake if that person wasn’t special for you. Jihyo could confirm to that as she herself has tried baking a cake for Nayeon before, but failed miserably.

After finishing to go over everything they needed, the three girls paid for the goods they bought and left the store.

MM: “Sa-tan will be heading over to my place to practice baking. Wanna come along too, Jihyo-ssi?”

JH: “..I think I’ll go now, hehe. I remembered I have something to finish for school.”

MM: “Okay~ See you at work tomorrow!”

SN: “..Take care, Jihyo. Okay?”

JH: “..Thanks. Bye for now.”

Obviously, Jihyo didn’t really have anything to do. She left and did not even try to look back at Sana. Definitely feeling disappointed about things, it was evident enough that she was clinging on to false hope. Falling in love with a rental girlfriend was definitely she shouldn’t have done. With that farewell, Jihyo started to consider not renting Sana ever again. She went home still bothered as to who this special someone Sana had.

As soon as she got home, she spent the rest of her day in bed looking at her phone which was showing Sana’s profile in Dream Life. She thought that it was really just a dream. A short one at that. The memories were nice, but she definitely had to go back to reality. She went back to the home screen of her phone and was about to delete the application. However, she suddenly received a message from an unknown number.

XXXXXXX29

“Hi, Jihyo! I got your number from Momo. You didn’t look okay when you left and I’m worried L I hope you don’t take what she said seriously. Take care of yourself, okay? <3”

Jihyo’s hands started to tremble as she knew who this was. It was Sana and this was her personal contact number. This wasn’t the way she expected to get her phone number, but she did. Immediately, she thought of what she should say to properly reply to the girl. After a bit of thinking, she started typing her message.

Jihyo:

“Hi, Sana. Don’t worry about me! I hope you’re enjoying yourself. Take care too!”

Jihyo started smiling again thinking that among other clients, she was likely the only person to know Sana’s contact number. Other than this, it was the older girl who made it out of her way just to contact her. This made her feel much better. The only mysterious thing that remains though, who was this ‘special someone’ that was being referred?

In a bit, Jihyo received another message.

Sana:

“Can I call you?”

JH: (W-what!?)

Jihyo wasn’t sure as to why Sana wanted to call instead of just sending a message. But she kind of felt excited and nervous at the same time.

Jihyo:

“Sure!”

In about a minute or so, Jihyo’s phone rang and as expected, it was Sana. She answered her device and greeted her.

~ Call Begins ~

JH: “..Hello?”

SN: “Hi, Jihyo! Is everything okay?”

JH: “Y-Yeah! I am.. So why did you call?”

SN: “I wanted to make sure you’re okay, hehe. That’s why I wanted to hear your voice just to be sure.”

JH: “I’m fine, really. Are you at Momo’s place right now?”

SN: “Yup! We’re about to start baking. By the way, there’s something I wanted to tell you..”

JH: “W-what is it?”

SN: “..I’m not dating anyone, hehe.”

Sana’s answer caught Jihyo off guard as she wasn’t expecting an answer close to that at all.

JH: “W-why are you telling me that?”

SN: “..It kind of feels that it was what you were dying to know today. Isn’t it?”

There was definitely not a single person who knows Jihyo better than Sana. Even if it wasn’t the older duty’s obligation, she did genuinely care about Jihyo. More and more, Jihyo continuously fell in love with her. Even if what Sana said was true or not, she knew that it really won’t change how she felt about her.

JH: “..T-thanks for letting me know then, hehe.. See you on the next weekend.”

SN: “Umm, about that..”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “I won’t be available this weekend, sorry.”

JH: “…”

Yes, Sana may have said that she wasn’t dating anyone. However, the fact can’t be denied that she might be liking another person right now and that could be the very reason why she won’t be available that weekend, just for that person’s birthday.

SN: “Just a few personal stuff on my end, okay? I’ll be sure to be available for you on the following weekend, hehe.”

JH: “..It’s fine! Hehe. No need to worry about me.”

It’s not like Jihyo had any choice, but just knew that if she really wishes for Sana to be her real girlfriend, she needs to take more steps and not just rent her every week. Now that she knows her a little more on the personal side, she needs to work herself from there.

SN: “..I do have a favor to ask you this weekend though. Is it okay?”

JH: “..Huh? Sure, I guess?”

SN: “Thanks! I can’t tell you the details yet, but I’ll get back to you maybe on Wednesday, okay? Be sure to leave Saturday free, hehe.”

JH: “A-alright!”

SN: “Thanks, Jihyo! See you next time~”

~ Call Ends ~

Sana dropped the call as soon as Jihyo agreed to her request. As they say, it’s not good to just accept favors from people especially if we don’t know the details. But for Jihyo, this was coming from Sana. Now that she is becoming closer to her, she doesn’t seem to mind whatever it may be, as long as it came from her. Jihyo then spent the rest of her time that day reading webtoons.

The following day, Jihyo had thought of trying to know more about who this special someone Momo referred to. Sure, Sana said that she wasn’t dating. But just the fact that she wanted to bake for that person was something that kept on bugging her since last seeing each other.

As soon as she got to her part-time work, she thought of asking Momo about it.

MM: “..Eh? Sa-tan told me to keep quiet about it, hehe. Why?”

JH: “Ah.. N-nothing in particular! I just got curious..”

MM: “Hooo~ you like Sa-tan, don’t you!?”

Jihyo couldn’t control her blushing as she almost blew it. She should have seen this coming as trying to know more about the girl’s private life will really lead to more speculations.

JH: “I-I’m not! It’s just mysterious to me when you said special someone..”

MM: “Didn’t you ask her? She got your number from me so you two probably talked.”

JH: “..It feels kind of awkward to ask her.”

MM: “You’re one very curious ‘friend’, aren’t you? Hehe. Here’s what I could at least tell you. She’s pretty close to that person, sometimes even more than me.”

JH: “..I see.”

MM: “..You better hurry, Jihyo-ssi.”

JH: “..Why?”

MM: “A lot of people are really into Sa-tan. You need to move if you want her to be your girlfriend!”

JH: “I told you I’m-“

MM: “Don’t worry. I won’t tell her, hehe.”

JH: *sigh* “Whatever, Momo.”

Jihyo brushed off Momo’s persistence, but really took note of what the Japanese girl mentioned. It’s definitely true, a lot of people are bound to fall in love with Sana. Not only was she beautiful, but her personality could easily make anyone fall for her.

As for that person Momo was referring to, Jihyo could not help but feel bothered as to who it was. If the former said that they were really close, this could mean that her getting into a relationship is just around the corner. Regardless, she proceeded with her work as usual.

The rest of the day was uneventful, even the following one. However, Jihyo knew something was bound to occur on Wednesday, as Sana has mentioned about getting back to her on that day. Despite now knowing about the girl’s phone number she didn’t push her luck for the past few days and patiently waited for Sana to contact her. During Jihyo’s lunch break at school while eating at the convenience store just outside her university, she received a message.

Sana:

“Hi, Jihyo~ Can I talk to you for a bit?”

It was Sana. Jihyo waited all this time for her message, and was finally going to be able to talk to her. She immediately replied.

Jihyo:

“Sure! I’m on my lunch break.”

In a few seconds, she received a phone call.

~ Call Begins ~

JH: “Hello?”

SN: “Thanks, Jihyo! Sorry for suddenly calling.”

JH: “It’s fine!”

If Jihyo would be honest right there, she’d be more than happy to answer Sana’s call anytime and anywhere.

SN: “So.. about my favor..”

JH: “..Yeah?”

SN: “One of my classmates is actually interested in my line of work. I told her about it before so she knew.”

JH: “Really? I’m surprised you told someone about it.”

SN: “She’s a very understanding one. Anyway, she wanted to try this out as a part-time job. But isn’t very confident about it.”

JH: “So you mean..”

SN: “Yes, hehe. Can you book a date with her this Saturday?”

JH: “…”

Jihyo somewhat hesitated to accept, for the very reason that she felt she was being taken advantaged of. As much as she wanted to build an impression to Sana, the least she wanted to do is to look like she’d be willing to date anyone.

SN: “Is it okay? It’s alright if you say no..”

JH: “..I’ll do it because you asked me to, Sana.”

For her, this was the best answer she could give to make sure she gives a better impression than just simply rejecting Sana’s request.

SN: “Really? Thanks a lot! She already registered in Dream Life. Her profile should appear in the New section later after midnight. Make sure you book her slot! I told her to only open one for Saturday, hehe~”

JH: “Alright, I’ll do that.”

SN: “To return the favor, let’s go somewhere nice on the following week~ I’m sure you’ll like it. I’ll reserve my entire day for you~”

JH: “W-what!? Entire day!?”

SN: “Is it okay?”

JH: “Y-yeah! Sure! Definitely!”

SN: “Okay! Look forward to it~”

JH: “By the way, Sana. What’s the name of your-“

SN: “Ah, our prof is here! Talk to you later, Jihyo. Bye!”

~ Call Ends ~

Sana abruptly ended the call and Jihyo was left wondering who this person was.

JH: (..I guess I’ll check whoever’s new on the list later tonight.)

??: “..You were talking to Sana?”

JH: “..Huh?”

Jihyo turned around and saw someone she has been recently avoiding as of late, Nayeon. She didn’t expect to see her there as she was supposed to have classes at that time.

NY: “I kind of heard you saying her name.”

JH: “Y-yeah, I was talking to her.”

NY: “So you’re still dating each other. That’s good. Can I sit beside you?”

JH: “Sure.. But why are you here?”

NY: “Our prof was absent, and I was craving for Banana milk.”

JH: “..So that’s why.”

NY: “..Can I ask you something?”

JH: “..Yeah?”

NY: “..Have you been avoiding me?”

JH: “Huh? N-no, I’m not! I’m just busy with stuff.”

NY: “..Good to know that. I thought I made you angry last time.”

JH: (..Good to know? What does she mean by that?)

Jihyo was definitely assuming, but felt that there was something in between Nayeon’s words that she wasn’t so sure of. One thing’s for sure though, she still hasn’t completely let go of her feelings for the girl.

NY: “By the way, are you free this Saturday?”

JH: “..Huh? Why?”

NY: “I just wanna hangout.”

JH: “Did you ask Jeongyeon already?”

NY: “..No. Just you and me.”

JH: “W-WHAT!?”

NY: “It’s been a long time since we did that or do you have plans with Sana?”

Jihyo was placed in a very difficult situation. This may potentially be the turning point for her and her unnie to potentially become a lot closer than before. She knew that her hesitating right now is a clear message that she is considering her first love’s offer. However, she did make a promise to Sana that she’d book her friend as a favor.

JH: “..I’ll message you if I’m free, okay? I’m.. not yet sure of my schedule.”

NY: “Alright. I’ll be waiting then, Jihyo. I’m gonna head back to class.”

Nayeon left the younger girl who was left confused as to what she wishes to do. She is somewhat considering Nayeon more this time especially since it’s not Sana she’s going on a date with. Besides that, she felt that with Sana having a special someone might be a sign that she does not really stand a chance of becoming a couple with her new infatuation. She admitted to herself that she got her hopes up when the older girl mentioned to her that it will just be the two of them.

For the rest of her day at school and even at work, she kept on thinking as to what she should do. She very well knew that if she fails to choose one, it will definitely affect her relationship with the other. Time was ticking as Jihyo was already at home, waiting for midnight to come. About ten minutes before the next day, Jihyo received another message.

Sana:

“Thanks again, Jihyo~ I knew I could count on you! ”

Sana attached a selca on her message which Jihyo could not stop staring at. She was definitely pretty, and seeing her in this state really made her feel that the girl wasn’t using her, and really trusts her right now. It would definitely be a bad thing to suddenly say no to her favor. And so, Jihyo finally made a decision and messaged her first love.

Jihyo:

“Hi, Nayeonie. I’m sorry but I don’t think I can hang out with you on Saturday. I have a few things to do. Maybe we can hang out next time!”

Jihyo finally sent her message and let out a deep breath as a really hard decision just came by. Finally, her alarm for midnight rang. She then opened Dream Life and tapped on the New section. She saw a few names, but all of the listed names already had reviews, except for one.

JH: “..Is she the one? I guess it would make sense since she doesn’t have any review yet."

To Jihyo, it looked like she was able to manage everything and will be able to proceed smoothly with her plans. However, little did she know that things were about to get even more complicated than they already were.

Name: Myoui Mina

“I like to play games.”

Birthday: March 24, 1997 Height: 163cm

Nationality: Japanese-American Weight: 46kg

Personality: Introvert, Competitive, Shy

Likes: Games, Shopping, Snacks, Americano

Dislikes: Beondaegi, Natto

Rating: None


	6. The Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a very hard decision that she had to make, Park Jihyo was set to have a date with Sana's friend, Myoui Mina as a favor for the girl she likes. With Sana having a special someone lingering in Jihyo's mind, what's about to happen?

JH: (I guess she’s the one? She’s Japanese as well. Figures why she’s friends with her.)

Jihyo finalized her booking and soon enough received a confirmation that the date was set. She tried to sleep still bothered with the dilemma she had to face between choices.

Days have passed and it was eventually the weekend. Similarly on her first time booking Sana, she felt nervous as if she was heading on a blind date. The young girl made sure to ready herself and do her best with her part-time work and not get distracted with the fact that Sana might be meeting up with her ‘special someone’ today.

MM: “Hey, Jihyo-ssi. Any plans today?”

JH: “..Huh? Y-yeah. Sorry.”

MM: “Ah, too bad. Sa-tan’s also busy so I guess I’m on my own today.”

JH: “..What is she doing today?”

MM: “I’m sure you don’t want to know. Hehe.”

JH: “R-right..

Afterwards, she went straight to her rendezvous point with the new girl which is in front of Times Square Mall. Sana advised her to take the lead for their date as she wasn’t really the type to do so.

In a few minutes before their agreed time, Jihyo saw the girl a few meters away, holding a very elegant aura with a strong girlfriend vibe as well.

Rather, she possessed a kind of reserved but appealing presence. She was beautiful like Sana, but different still. It looked like the girl started to wait near the entrance, but still hasn’t noticed her. She took the time to observe if the young woman would see and approach her or not, but didn’t seem that she will do so anytime soon.

JH: (..Right. I should take the initiative.)

Jihyo slowly approached the girl who was waiting at the opposite corner, who then finally saw her and looked at her in the eyes.

JH: “H-hi! You must be Mina, right? The name is Jihyo. It’s nice meeting you today.”

Jihyo extended her hand for a handshake, while Mina looked a bit hesitant in doing so. She eventually extended hers and they shook hands as the younger Japanese girl also bowed down, but did not utter a single word in reply.

JH: (..Sana did tell me she’s kind of timid and doesn’t talk much. It’s kind of surprising she’s interested in working in this industry.) “So, shall we get going?”

Mina nodded and they headed inside the mall. As it was a kind of practice for the elegant girl, Jihyo waited for her to hold her hand. However, she didn’t really seem to want to do it.

They first headed inside a coffee shop as it was too early for dinner and Jihyo wanted to get to know her a little more.

JH: “So, what would you like to drink, Mina?”

MN: “…”

Mina looked at the menu for a bit, still looking shy to start talking. Jihyo noticed this as if the girl wanted to speak but was really hesitating to do so.

JH: “I read that you like Americano. I’ll get that for you, okay?”

The girl nodded, embarrassed as she was not able to speak. As much as she wanted to say what she’d like, it was as if she could not begin talking to someone who she just met for the first time.

As soon as they got their drinks, Jihyo looked for a corner with less people inside the café and sat down with her date. She handed over the drink to Mina as they sat dawn and sipped quietly on their beverage. All of a sudden.

MN: “..Thank you.”

Jihyo was surprised to hear the girl speak. She had a soft voice, but was heard clearly due to their silence as they spent time there.

JH: “Y-you’re welcome! Is it good?”

MN: “..Yes.”

JH: “G-great!”

Jihyo was glad that Mina started to speak. As she observed the girl while they’re drinking, she could say that she and Sana were complete opposites. With the latter being bubbly and energetic, while Mina being very reserved and shy. It was surprising to realize that these two girls were friends.

JH: “So, what would you like to do today?”

MN: “…”

Mina became quiet again and looked embarrassed to speak. As much as she wished to make sure that the girl would be comfortable with her, she really needs to take the lead in order for her to be more comfortable.

JH: “..I’ve decided where we’ll go, hehe. Look forward to it.”

The younger girl looked confused as to where they will head to right after staying at the café. But as she knew that Jihyo was someone her friend trusted, she felt comfortable that she won’t be brought to any suspicious place.

After they finish their drink, they both stood up and headed to their next destination. Jihyo took the lead and Mina followed. Eventually, they arrived at the mall’s arcade center.

JH: “..You like playing games, right? I like them too. Let’s enjoy ourselves here, hehe.”

Mina was surprised that Jihyo has been very considerate of her. She understood that the older girl took a look into account the things she liked that she put in her profile. She nodded in response and they entered the arcade.

There they started to play some of the typical games you’d find in an arcade, like the crane machine, and basketball to name a few. As they continued having fun, Jihyo noticed that Mina became more comfortable with what they were doing and smiled for the first time.

JH: “..You finally smiled, hehe.”

MN: “..Eh?”

JH: “You should do that more and be confident about yourself, Mina. You look really cute when you smile.”

Mina turned red after hearing Jihyo’s comments as she immediately looked away.

JH: “..Is something wrong?”

The younger girl shook her head in reply, still looking away.

MN: “..I’m.. I’m fine..”

JH: “Wow, we spent about an hour here. About time we have dinner, right? Let’s go.”

Mina nodded as they both exited the arcade. While they were walking, Jihyo’s date took the initiative this time and grabbed on her client’s hand, surprising Jihyo in the process.

MN: “..F-for practice..”

JH: “..O-of course! You surprised me, hehe. Come on.”

They both entered an American burger joint as there were not much people there. Still, the food quality was good at a not so steep price. After placing their order, the two girls sat down and started to eat. By this time, Jihyo grew more curious of her date. As she was able to become more comfortable now, she attempted to start a conversation with her.

JH: “..So, why did you get interested in doing this line of work? Umm, it’s okay if you don’t answer.”

MN: “…”

Mina became quiet again as the question was something quite personal. Not even Sana knew as to why she got interested being a rental girlfriend. Jihyo noticed Mina’s hesitation and tried to change the topic.

JH: “..A-anyway, you were really good at games, you know. I was really doing my best earlier but I-“

MN: “It’s for myself.”

JH: “..Huh?”

MN: “..I want to.. build my confidence.. I’m not good at socializing. So I thought.. I could learn doing this..”

JH: “…”

Jihyo remembered what Sana said. Not everyone entering the rental business are in it for the money. Like with Sana wanting to hear stories from different people and help them become better individuals, Mina has her reasons as well. This time, it was for herself. Of course it’s not easy to suddenly talk to someone so casually you meet for the first time. But the more she gets used to it, the more she can build on her self-confidence.

JH: “..I think you’re doing great right now!”

MN: “..Eh?”

JH: “We just met two hours ago, but look at you now, telling me all of these things.”

MN: “…”

JH: “I’m sure you’d get fully booked in no time once you really get started!”

MN: “..Thank you.”

JH: “No need to thank me. I actually had a lot of fun today too! It was a really nice experience.”

Mina smiled upon hearing Jihyo’s words that she was satisfied with their time today. The latter handed over the envelop containing her payment which the younger girl received shyly.

MN: “..Unnie, can I ask you something?”

JH: “Hmm?”

MN: “I was only told that you’ll be my first client by Sa-chan, but.. How are you related to her?”

JH: “..W-what? Well, uhh.. I was regularly booking her ever since..”

MN: “But I heard it isn’t allowed to give personal contact details to your clients. Are you both perhaps.. dating?”

JH: “N-NO WE’RE NOT! W-we just had a common friend and.. that’s how we accidentally knew each other. I’m just a client! A client!”

Jihyo was obviously turning red just explaining about how she and Sana were connected. As much as she want to say that she has feelings for the cheerful girl, she couldn’t say so. She could only say that she’s a client despite her longing to be a real couple with Sana.

MN: “..I see.”

JH: “S-so yeah.. We aren’t breaking any rule, hehe..”

MN: “..It’s okay. No worries.”

During their meal, Mina’s alarm rang signaling the end of their date. They just finished eating dinner to wrap everything up before going their separate ways.

JH: “Will you be fine on your way home?”

MN: “Yes.”

JH: “So.. I’ll see you around then?”

Mina just nodded and put her head down as if she was hesitating to speak about something to Jihyo.

JH: “..What’s wrong?”

MN: “..Will you book me again in the future?”

JH: “..Huh? S-sure, I guess? I’d like to also see how much you improve in this rental job.”

Mina faced Jihyo, smiled and gave her parting words on that day.

MN: “..Thank you.. Goodnight.”

Mina left in a hurry as she parted ways with Jihyo. The latter felt satisfied that she was able to help her out with her first experience in the job, leaving a feeling that it won’t be the last time they’ll see each other.

Now that her day is done, Jihyo thought of finally messaging Sana for the first time as she had somewhat of an excuse to start messaging her since she’d like to talk about how her date with Mina went. She proceeded to type her message while walking to the exit of the mall.

Jihyo:

“Hi, Sana! I just finished meeting with Mina. She was really nice. A bit shy at first, but I think she got the hang of it already.”

As Jihyo sent her message, she felt nervous if she would actually get a reply from the girl she liked. A few seconds passed, and she’s not sure if she will get a reply still. Soon after, she thought that maybe, she’s busy right now and hasn’t seen her message. Not yet in the mood to go home, she decided to hang around the park just in front of the mall and sat down at one of the free benches. While waiting, she thought of what Sana may be doing right now, probably with her special someone laughing and enjoying quality time together.

As much as she doesn’t want to imagine it, she couldn’t help but do so. Eventually, it was as if she could hear her unique laugh just behind her. Jihyo wasn’t imagining things though, because as she turned around, she saw the girl of her dreams laughing while walking at the park, side by side with a man she hasn’t seen before. She tried to go duck a little and hide from their peripheral vision.

JH: (..Sana? It’s really Sana.. right? So this guy must be..)

The man was a bit taller than her, was good-looking and Sana seemed very comfortable around her. This somewhat made Jihyo feel insecure, as she thought that this guy might be Sana’s ideal type. While checking them out, they’re slowly walking away further from Jihyo. Curiosity got the better of her as she sneakily tried to follow the two. She eventually found a good spot at the opposite side of a bush trail to eavesdrop on their conversation. Jihyo knew this was probably a bad idea, but she wanted to make sure as to what kind of connection these two had.

SN: “Yeah! I worked hard on that so you better be sure that you could finish it all up!”

??: “Eating it all on my own might be too much, noona. My friends are not fond of sweets too.”

SN: “Are you going to waste all my efforts then?”

The conversation was totally unexpected by Jihyo. She more or less thought it would be more romantic as Momo said this was a ‘special someone’ to her.

JH: (..Noona? So he’s younger than Sana? They’re talking about the cake I think.. Sana sounds pretty casual to him too.)

??: “I won’t, of course! Anyway, are you.. still doing that job?”

JH: (..He knows about Sana’s work too?)

SN: “Yup! Why?”

??: “..I really think you should stop it. You might get into trouble one of these days.”

SN: “You need to stop overthinking, you know. It’s been a few months already and the system is really secure too. And I can tell if a person is good or bad. I’m not an idiot.”

Jihyo had a thought for a bit. While it may be true that Sana is still continuing to work as a rental girlfriend, eventually, she will stop. What would happen by then? Would they still keep in touch with each other? Or would that be Jihyo’s opportunity to confess to the Japanese girl?

Suddenly, while eavesdropping, one kid called to her.

??: “Why are you hiding, miss?”

SN: “..Eh?”

Sana and the guy looked at Jihyo’s direction as the kid who spoke was just right behind her.

JH: (Shoot! The kid got their attention!)

Jihyo tried to shoo away the child but before she could do anything, Sana looked over the bush and saw her.

SN: “J-Jihyo!? W-what are you doing there?”

JH: “H-hi, Sana! S-sorry! I kind of followed you when I heard your voice..”

Jihyo bowed down in shame of what she did hoping to be forgiven by her infatuation. She knew that Sana was probably unhappy to see her sneaking around as this was part of Sana’s personal life, something she shouldn’t try to enter.

??: “..You know her?”

SN: “Y-yeah! She’s.. a friend of mine!”

JH: “H-hello! My name’s Park Jihyo. It’s nice to meet you!”

Jihyo sounded awkward for several reasons. For one, she was unprepared to see the two of them and get spotted. While the other is that she still doesn’t feel comfortable around the guy.

??: “..Did you hear what we were talking about?”

JH: “Y-yeah..”

SN: “D-don’t worry! She’s one of the few that knows that I can trust~”

??: “Well, if noona says so then I guess it’s okay. Nice meeting you too! I’m Bang Chan.”

Chan offered his hand for a handshake which Jihyo hesitantly grabbed but did so. Afterwards, she looked at Sana.

JH: “..Umm, Sana. So is he..?”

SN: “..Eh? N-NO! I told you we’re not like that! You shouldn’t believe what Momo said!”

BC: “..Oh, that? Haha. Noona and I are just close friends since our parents know each other. When she decided to move to Korea to study, her parents asked our family to check up on her every now and then.”

JH: “..R-really?”

SN: “Yeah. Actually mom and dad wanted me to stay with their family, but it’s just weird you know!”

JH: “..And the cake?”

BC: “That was for my birthday. October 3rd.”

JH: “Oh! H-happy birthday!”

BC: “Thanks.”

SN: “..A-anyway, Jihyo. Why are you here?”

JH: “..Oh, right. I just finished-“

Immediately, Jihyo thought that it would be weird if Chan would learn that she was actually Sana’s client in Dream Life. She paused for a bit to give a much safer answer.

JH: “..I just finished the favor you asked me to do here.”

BC: “..What’s that favor?”

SN: “Y-you don’t need to know! It’s a secret between girls!”

JH: “Y-yeah!”

BC: “Oh, alright.”

After a bit more chatting, Chan had to leave already to catch the last bus as he was living in another city.

BC: “Well, it was nice meeting you Jihyo-noona. See you next time!”

JH: “Likewise.”

SN: “Message me when you’re home, okay?”

BC: “I’m not a kid anymore!”

Chan left the two and the atmosphere became a bit awkward for Jihyo. As much as she wanted to be happy that Chan wasn’t really a person she should worry about, she still tried to eavesdrop on Sana’s private life. Jihyo knew this was something the older girl would be unhappy about. So, she took the initiative to talk about it.

JH: “..I’m-“

SN: “Sorry for today, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Huh?”

Jihyo was surprised to hear Sana apologizing. She knew she was the one at fault so she doesn’t see any reason why Sana would apologize.

SN: “I guess you felt uneasy that you thought I’m seeing someone I like or something.”

JH: “N-no.. Honestly, I should be the one apologizing for snooping around..”

SN: “..Then we’re even, I guess? Hehe~”

Jihyo looked at Sana who doesn’t seem mad that she was spying earlier. The more the girl showed understanding to her, the more she can’t help but fall for her even more.

JH: “..Thanks for being so understanding, Sana.”

SN: “..Eh? What do you mean?”

JH: “..Nothing.”

SN: “By the way, how was Mi-tan?”

JH: “You mean Mina? Well..”

Jihyo talked about the things that transpired during her time with Mina earlier that day. Sana was surprised to hear all about it as it went really well than she expected.

SN: “Wow.. You’re amazing, Jihyo!”

JH: “..Huh? W-what do you mean?”

SN: “Well, Mi-tan isn’t really the talkative type. When we met each other for the first time, it took me almost a week of trying to talk to her before she spoke to me! And you did that in a few hours~”

JH: “R-really?”

SN: “Yeah!”

She didn’t show it, but Jihyo was definitely happy hearing compliments from Sana. Somehow, she felt that she’s doing well and has been developing a closer relationship with the girl. Adding to that would be her encounter earlier with Sana’s friend.

JH: “..Thanks.”

SN: “So, as I told you, I’ll be with you for the whole day next weekend! Make sure you take a day-off, okay?”

JH: “Y-yeah! I will! So where will we go?”

SN: “It’s a secret! That way it’ll be more exciting, right? Just leave it to me~”

JH: “Okay.”

Sana was just staring at the open. Yet she was still radiating positive energy. It was something that Jihyo wished she could absorb all the time. In a way, she thought all these things happened coincidentally, and pushing her luck even further might end up making Sana unhappy with her.

JH: “..Can I ask you something, Sana?”

SN: “..Hmm? Sure! What is it?”

JH: “..Are you sure it’s okay for me.. to know about your personal life?”

SN: “..And why do you ask that now?”

JH: “..I just feel that I’m meddling in your life too much.”

Sana had a brief pause and looked up the sky before replying.

SN: “..Do you think the stars chose to shine tonight on Earth?”

JH: “..Huh? Well, not really.. I guess?”

SN: “The light we see from stars are from thousands of years ago, and we see them only just now. As if it was destined for them to be seen at our present time.”

Jihyo got a bit confused with what Sana was implying. Meanwhile, the older girl continued.

SN: “For me, it’s the same with life. I’ve met you and we come across each other in various situations. We didn’t have a choice and we learn things about each other slowly. That’s why I would like to enjoy what life throws at me. That includes meeting you too!”

JH: “Sana..”

SN: “..This also means that there may be a time that the star has already died. So as to why people come and eventually go. We need to make the most of what we receive.”

JH: “…”

Based on how her words were deep, yet Jihyo felt they definitely had meaning. She made a mental note to herself to remember her words.

SN: “..It’s getting late, Jihyo. I’ll go back to my place. Thanks for taking care of Mi-tan! You better go home too~”

JH: “..I will. Thank you, Sana.”

The two girls went their separate ways as midnight draws near. In a way, Jihyo felt that everything was well worth it that day and could relax. Even more so, she’s more than excited to go out the entire day with Sana next week.

The following day went smoothly for her with nothing to worry about. It’s just business as usual. She did try to send a good morning message to Sana, which she also got a reply from. These gestures may be small, but it’s these little things that are making her day brighter. With a very bright mood she was carrying around, her part-time job did not feel like work to her at all despite the large number of customers during Chuseok. Because of her good performance, her request for time off for next Saturday was approved by her manager as well.

MM: “Hey, Jihyo-ssi. Whatcha gonna do next week?”

JH: “Uhh, just a holiday, hehe. Why?”

MM: “Oh, I’m just surprised. Sa-tan also said she’s busy next weekend and won’t be free to hangout. Unless-”

JH: “R-really? WOW! What a coincidence! Anyway, wanna have dinner tonight?”

MM: “Eh? Sure!”

Jihyo didn’t want Momo to know, as it looked like she really had no idea that it was her and Sana spending time together on the next weekend. Momo does not know Sana’s job, and it would be best for the latter to say it to her when she’s ready.

The rest of the day went really smoothly with a good dinner they both enjoyed. Jihyo also made sure to finish all pending school work once she got home. She went to bed just looking forward to the day she’d get to spend entirely with Sana.

The next morning seemed like a good day, she was prepared for her deadlines and even received a reply from her good morning text message to Sana. But as soon as she got to her classroom and sat down, Jeongyeon immediately approached her.

JY: “Hey, can we talk?”

JH: “Hmm? Sure. What is it Jeong?”

JY: “Outside. Now.”

JH: “Uhh, okay?”

Jeongyeon lead the way and brought Jihyo at the corner of the hall. Jihyo figured that this was probably something serious considering that she dragged her all the way there to talk in private.

JH: “..So, what is it?”

JY: “..Jihyo, I really have a lot of respect for you ever since we became friends.”

JH: “..W-what are you talking about?”

JY: “I was hoping that it wasn’t true, but I can’t see anything right about this.”

From there, Jihyo knew it was a serious thing. As much as she wanted to reply and ask more about it, she kept quiet and waited for her childhood friend to say everything. Jeongyeon then brought out her phone and showed to Jihyo something on screen.

JH: “W-WHAT!?”

Jihyo was completely out of words. She didn’t expect that Jeongyeon would show a photo of her and Mina during their date, as she didn’t really notice the older girl or anyone else she’s familiar with during their time at the mall. Of course she still wanted to protect Sana and Mina’s identity, as telling the truth will not just affect her, but them as well. Regardless, her friends are now suspicious of her. She could see that Jeongyeon was clearly mad about it as she was someone who always made sure Jihyo was doing the right thing.

JY: “I don’t really know what’s going on. You said to me last week you’ve been having a blast being with Sana all the time. But then I saw this.”

JH: “N-no, Jeongyeon! I can explain! It’s not what it looks like!”

JY: “Then what is it then!? AREN’T YOU CHEATING ON SANA!?”


	7. The Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Park Jihyo was spotted on a date with another girl, despite being in a 'relationship' with Sana. Being backed into a corner, how will she be able to convince her friends that she wasn't cheating at all? Will Sana's secret be revealed?

Jeongyeon was clearly mad. And Jihyo knew the older girl wouldn’t easily listen to her. Still it’s quite surprising to see her being really angry about what she saw.

JH: “C-calm down, Yoo Jeongyeon! At least hear me out!”

JY: “Don’t even try to make a lame excuse, you hear me!? Care to tell me now who’s that girl?”

JH: “..Let’s talk about this after school, okay?”

JY: “And what? You’re gonna run away? You’re getting more and more suspicious, Jihyo.”

Not really knowing what to say, Jihyo just said whatever thought came to her mind at that moment. She wasn’t sure what Jeongyeon really saw, but hoped that she could hopefully convince her childhood friend.

JH: “What the heck are you saying? We’re just friends! First period is about to start. I understand you’re mad and confused, but I’m as confused as you are here! We’ll talk for 30 minutes. After that, I have part-time work, okay?”

JY: “..Since when did you have part-time work?”

She didn’t mean to say it, but she accidentally mentioned about her part-time work right at that moment. Now that her secret is out, she tried to think through what possible things may happen in the near future.

JH: “Two weeks ago. I wanted.. to be more productive.”

JY: “..You sure you’re not making this up?”

JH: “And why would I? I know better than that, Jeongyeon.”

JY: “..You’ve changed, Jihyo. You would usually tell me and Nayeon what’s going on around you. But now, you don’t.”

Her words definitely affected the younger girl. It’s true that Jihyo has been distant to the two. But that’s only because being around them made her feel left out, especially during Nayeon’s birthday. But that doesn’t excuse herself in remaining a real friend to them. Despite all of this, the way she’s being treated definitely has changed.

JH: “I wanted to tell you guys at the right time. But you getting wild like this instead of talking things out is also different about you. Maybe you’re the one that changed, Jeongyeon. You can’t even trust me now.”

JY: “..Fine. We’ll end it here for now. You better tell me what’s going on later.”

Jeongyeon went ahead and returned to their classroom, while Jihyo stood still for a bit thinking about the mess she’s in. Mina is involved now, and she might need to rent Sana again to meet up with Nayeon and Jeongyeon too. But before everything, she needs to know what Jeongyeon knows.

Jihyo returned to her classroom and their first period began. Being a little more distracted than usual, she tried to make sure she maintained proper composure on the outside just so that her friend won’t grow any more suspicious of her. She thought of various alibis for later, just to make sure that she’d be ready for Jeongyeon’s interrogation.

Finally, classes were done and Jeongyeon approached her again. Not saying a word, she gestured for the both of them to go to the same end of the hall. Once there, Jeongyeon turned to face her and spoke.

JY: “Okay, talk.”

JH: “..We’re just friends. There’s nothing between us. It might look like we’re dating or something, but that’s not true.”

JY: “..Are you sure about that? Because the person that saw you told us that you were both holding hands. If that girl’s really just a friend, then why do something that you actually hate doing with us?”

Jihyo was surprised to hear what Jeongyeon said. She didn’t expect that they were both found during the time Mina grabbed on her hand. What’s more is that it doesn’t sound like Jeongyeon was the one that found them, and that Nayeon also heard about this. She tried to change the topic after giving another excuse.

JH: “..Mina is actually a shy girl and I need to take care of her a lot. Holding hands with her makes her feel safe. Anyway, weren’t you the one who found us at the mall?”

JY: “No, the photo was just sent to Nayeon by Yeri. It was Yeri’s friend who found you both.”

JH: “..Yeri’s friend? Who is it?”

This then explained why Jihyo didn’t see anyone familiar during that time. Who knew what else that person saw? As much as possible, she really wants to know what else this person saw.

JY: “..I have no idea. But Nayeon said she’ll meet with this girl and Yeri tomorrow.”

JH: “..How is Nayeon-unnie?”

JY: “..You better talk to her. She’s definitely affected by what’s going on around you. As much as she wanted to be the one to approach you, she said she couldn’t.”

Jihyo didn’t really understand what Jeongyeon meant about that, but took it more as Nayeon getting affected a lot by that news.

JH: (..Couldn’t? Is it because I denied hanging out with her last time?) “..Okay. Then I’ll come along tomorrow too.”

JY: “..Alright, I’ll tell her.”

JH: “..I better get going. I still have work.”

JY: “Tell me where you work. Me and Nayeon will drop by sometimes.”

JH: “I’ll send you the address details later. It’s not that far from here.”

JY: “..Alright.”

JH: “..I’m glad we had this conversation and settled things properly.”

JY: “..Just tell us what’s going on around you, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Yeah.”

Jihyo went ahead and headed to her part-time work. She could finally catch a breather as it was really difficult for her to come up with an excuse just to make she can protect the identity of the two girls.

JH: (..I guess I have no choice but to also meet whoever spotted me.)

She knew what she had to do, which is to be able to contact Mina and inform her what happened. However, she can only get her number through Sana. As much as Sana can be involved right now as well, she wanted to keep it at a minimum for her as she doesn’t want the older girl to be involved in more trouble as well. Jihyo hopes to settle things on her own. She then proceeded to message Sana while on her way to work.

Jihyo:

“Hi, Sana! I have a favor to ask, hehe. Is it okay if I can get Mina’s number from you?”

The younger girl tried to make her message as less suspicious as possible. However, Sana’s reply was something she didn’t want the girl to think of.

Sana:

“Oh, why? Do you like Mi-tan? Hehe~ I can give it to you but I need to ask her permission first!”

Jihyo:

“No, it’s not like that! I just like to ask her a few things and stuff.”

Sana:

“..Really, huh? But that’s what other guys tell me when they wanted to know her number.. So you still like Nayeon-unnie?”

After receiving Sana’s message, Jihyo wanted to confess to her right there that she has feelings for Sana. However, she doesn’t want to potentially ruins the close relationship she has been building up with her. Saying no might sound suspicious, so saying yes might be her only choice. Jihyo still tried to play it safe.

Jihyo:

“I’m not sure. But I will tell you once I have my answer.”

Sana:

“Okay~ I just talked to Mi-tan. She did say you were very nice to her. I’ll send you her number~”

Jihyo:

“Thanks, Sana. You’re the best!”

As soon as Jihyo sent her reply, she thought that maybe that last sentence was a bit too much. This made her feel frustrated as to why she sent that because this might be misinterpreted by the girl. In a few minutes, she received a notification and got Mina’s number. She then proceeded to message her.

Jihyo:

“Hi, Mina! This is Jihyo. I hope you’re doing okay. Last Saturday was fun! Anyway, I have something to tell you. One of my friend’s friend spotted us last time and got confused with what’s going on..”

Jihyo paused for a bit and remembered that Nayeon and Jeongyeon knows that Sana is her girlfriend, and that she needs to tell Mina about this. If she hoped to keep things under control, she had to tell Mina about it too. She continued to type the rest of her message.

“..since they thought that Sana is my current girlfriend. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you this so that we may avoid some trouble in the future. I’m really sorry for getting you caught up in this! I’ll make it up to you next time.”

Jihyo let out a deep sigh after all that and now hoped that Mina is fine with what she has been told. In a few minutes, she received a reply.

Mina:

“Okay.”

On one side, she’s glad that Mina was fine with it, or maybe. At least she was able to explain all these things in detail. Her reply was a but underwhelming though.

As soon as she arrived at the restaurant, Jihyo tried to focus and not let herself get distracted with what’s going on. She knew that worrying about it will only make her even more anxious as to what’s about to come. Right after her shift, she noticed that she had one unread message from Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon:

“Me and Nayeon will meet up with Yeri’s friend over there at your part-time work’s place tomorrow so you can meet her too.”

The younger girl knew it will get even more stressful than it ever was. What makes her worry more is that she doesn’t really know what else Yeri’s friend saw. She has to be careful not to say too much.

The following day, Jihyo approached Jeongyeon immediately after entering their classroom.

JH: “Hey, I received your message. So are you all dropping by later for sure?”

JY: “Yeah, I’ll wait for Nayeon for about an hour. You go ahead of us.”

JH: “Okay.”

She thought of every possible scenario that Yeri’s friend has seen. From holding hands, sharing a meal, and even the things they talked about. Jihyo wanted to make sure she doesn’t get into more trouble, as well as Sana and Mina.

Right after finishing her classes, Jihyo went straight to the restaurant and got changed, still trying to think of excuses just to save face. Momo saw her and talked to her.

MM: “Yo, Jihyo-ssi. What’s up?”

JH: “..Huh?”

MM: “You’re looking worried. Something wrong?”

JH: “Ah, n-nothing.. It’s just that a few of my friends are dropping by today.”

MM: “Ohh, you nervous? Hehe. Don’t sweat it. They might tease you a bit, but you’ll get used to it!”

JH: “T-thanks..”

As her shift began, Jihyo felt that the next hour is really taking its time to pass. It might lead to her getting embarrassed and potentially ruin the friendship she has established with Sana.

As time continued to pass she noticed Yeri already enter the restaurant and was accompanied by another girl. As it was the table she’s delegated to take orders from, she took a deep breath and approached the two of them.

JH: “..Hi, Yeri! Thanks for dropping by. What would you like to have?”

YR: “Oh, hi Jihyo! So you really work here, huh? Pretty cool! We’ll wait first for Nayeon-unnie. But we’ll start with some miso soup. Oh, would you like to order something already?”

Yeri looked at her friend who seemed occupied with the menu, and spoke.

??: “I guess some salad would be nice for starters.”

JH: “..G-got it! I’ll be back in a bit.”

Jihyo could not see the girl’s face earlier as her hair was covering her side. However, she was certain that this person was someone she’s unfamiliar with. After having the salad prepared, Jihyo made sure to take their orders from the opposite side this time.

JH: “Thanks for waiting. Here you go.”

Finally, Jihyo was able to see the girl’s face. She was pretty small in stature and might be a but intimidating. However, she very well understood that it was her who knew her and took a photo of her and Mina during their date.

YR: “By the way, Jihyo. This here is my friend, Son Chaeyoung! “

JH: “..Nice to meet you!”

CY: “Hello.”

YR: “She’s taking up Fine Arts and Design in Yonsei University. She’s really talented and was granted a full scholarship there!”

JH: “Wow..” (So she’s from the same university as Sana..)

CY: “You didn’t have to say that, Yeri.”

YR: “Why not? I’m proud to have a friend like you!”

At this point, Jihyo decided to take the first step in knowing more about what happened.

JH: “Hey.. So you know about me?”

Chaeyoung looked at her for a while and spoke.

CY: “..I’ve seen you from a photo that Yeri showed to me before. It was during a birthday party, I think?”

YR: “Yup. That was Nayeon-unnie’s party.”

Yeri brought out her phone and showed the photo that she took back then.

CY: “Yeri also told me you were dating this girl here.”

Chaeyoung pointed her finger at Sana on the phone.

JH: “..Y-yeah..”

As Chaeyoung spoke, she brought out her phone and showed to Jihyo the photos of them she took that day. Most of which are during their walk heading to their destination. In a way, Jihyo couldn’t believe that she didn’t notice anybody taking photos at that time.

CY: “However, I saw you with a different girl at Times Square mall last Saturday. You two looked.. not just friends.”

Chaeyoung started to look differently at Jihyo. The older girl could feel that she’s really suspicious of her relationship with Mina.

JH: “W-what are you saying? You know those times when you’re really close to someone? And Mina’s a really introverted girl. That’s why I had to take good care of her.”

CY: “..I don’t like liars, unnie. Are you really sure you can back up your words with that?”

She was definitely in a pinch. Photos could tell some, but Jihyo does not know what else Chaeyoung may have seen at that time. She is certain though that she wasn’t trusted. Jihyo can only try.

JH: “O-of course!”

MM: “Hey, Jihyo-ssi! New customers!”

JH: “..Huh? R-right! Sorry I’ll be back.”

Thankfully, Momo pulled Jihyo out of her predicament. This gave her some time to compose herself again and be able to come up with the right words to say. It was also only a matter of time before Nayeon and Jeongyeon arrived.

In a few minutes, the two older girls entered the restaurant. Jihyo saw them and noticed that they headed directly to Yeri and Chaeyoung.

Now that Jihyo has seen Nayeon again, she remembered that one thing she did to her last time, and that was to reject hanging out with her to do Sana’s favor. This time, it became more awkward for her to approach their table knowing that Nayeon might be really unhappy to hear about this.

YR: “Hey, Jihyo! We’ll order now~”

Times up. Yeri called out to her and had to face them again. It was really awkward for her to face them, but she had to. Not just for her own but also for Sana and Mina. She made her way back to their table.

JY: “Wow.. So you really work here, huh?”

JH: “Yeah. So, what will you get?”

JY: “Hmm, I’ll have..”

Jihyo proceeded to take their orders. While doing so, she tried to steal glimpses of Nayeon to check up on her mood right at that moment. Jihyo knew she was in the wrong for certain reasons like not telling them what’s going on around her, and rejecting her request to hang out. She needs to use her words properly if she wishes to rebuild their trust around her.

JH: “I’ll be back in about ten minutes or so..”

Jihyo went back to the kitchen and let out a deep breath. She was definitely stressed out from everything happening that day.

MM: “So, are those your buddies? They look like friendly people.”

JH: “Y-yeah, they are.. I just feel stressed talking to them while working.”

MM: “Take it easy, Jihyo-ssi. If it makes you feel any better, Sa-tan said she’ll drop by today~”

JH: “W-WHAT!?”

MM: “Yup. I borrowed something from her and she’s bringing it today, hehe.”

Jihyo’s situation couldn’t get any worse. Now that Sana is coming as well, she was left with having her infatuation learn about the entire mess she’s involved in.

JH: (I need to solve this misunderstanding before she arrives!)

Jihyo waited for their orders to be done so that she may drop by and tall to the other girls as well. Luckily, there are also lesser customers entering so she may try talking with them too. The young girl returned to her friends’ table.

JH: “Here you all go. Thank you.”

JY: “ Wow these look good.”

YR: “Thanks, Jihyo!”

Jihyo remained standing there, curious to know what they have been talking about without her.

JH: “So.. what have you guys been talking about?”

JY: “Chaeyoung here told us about what she saw with you and that other girl.”

NY: “…”

JH: “L-like I told you guys, we’re just friends!”

CY: “..But why do you sound defensive then, unnie?”

JH: “I’m not, you’re just making it sound true!”

NY: “..Can I ask you something then, Jihyo?”

Everyone’s attention went to Nayeon as to her suddenly wanting to voice out something. Jihyo knew this might not he so good for her.

JH: “..Yeah?”

NY: “So, when I asked you to hangout with me, you chose to hangout with this girl instead?”

Jihyo didn’t know how to reply, as saying no would need a good reason to it, and saying yes will only lead her to causing rifts in her friendships.

JY: “..What? What are you talking about?”

NY: “I asked Jihyo last Wednesday if she’d like to hangout with me on Saturday. She messaged me and said she had other plans. I thought it was with Sana, but turned out to be a different girl I haven’t heard of at all.”

JY: “..How come you never told me this?”

Nayeon simply ignored Jeongyeon’s question and continued to interrogate Jihyo.

NY: “I don’t want to offend you, Jihyo.. But why are you suddenly ‘close’ to this girl? We’ve been friends for a long time, but we didn’t hear about anyone like her.. Even to the point of holding each other’s hand is strange for you.”

Jihyo got stuck in a corner where she doesn’t know what to say. Nayeon’s statement made sense as it just really happened all of a sudden. She doesn’t even know how to connect the dots as Mina’s existence in her life just came out of nowhere. With nothing else to say to defend herself, she was on the verge of giving up. Her last resort was to tell them something she didn’t want to say, which was that she already ‘broke up’ with Sana.

NY: “..Well?”

Jihyo took a deep breath as she knew there was nothing else she could say that may convince them.

JH: “..Actually, Sana and I already-“

Suddenly, Sana opened the door and came in the restaurant without any hesitation. She immediately saw Jihyo who was tending to the table of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Yeri and another girl she hasn’t seen before.

SN: “Hi, Jihyo!.. Eh? You have a lot of visitors today~”

JH: “S-Sana! You didn’t tell me you were coming today!”

Sana carefully assessed the situation and knew that in front of Jihyo’s friends, she had to be her ‘girlfriend.’

SN: “Sorry, babe~ Hehe. It was a bit sudden that I forgot to tell you!”

The others were surprised seeing the energetic girl. This was also Chaeyoung’s first time meeting Sana.

CY: “..You’re her girlfriend?”

SN: “Hello~ Nice meeting you. My name’s Minatozaki Sana. And you are?”

CY: “..Chaeyoung. Son Chaeyoung.”

Sana noticed Chaeyoung’s lanyard.

SN: “Wow, so you’re from Yonsei University too. Let’s hangout sometimes~”

CY: “..Huh?

Jihyo noticed that Sana was a complete natural, already befriending someone she just met and acted like the same lively girlfriend she was accompanied by. She had to admit it, but maybe it’s Sana that can save her out of this horrible mess.

JY: “Hey, Sana. There’s something we want to ask you.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Jeongyeon then proceeded to explain in detail about what Chaeyoung saw and even showed the photos at that time. As they went on, Sana understood the problem as to why Jihyo really looked worried with what’s going on. Her reasoning might not really be enough and she just arrived in the nick of time to give even more confirmation.

JY: “So.. Do you know about this?”

SN: “Yup! I do.”

All the other girls, especially Nayeon, looked in surprise that Sana knew what was going on.

YR: “Y-you mean..”

SN: “Mi-tan is my friend~ I asked Jihyo if she could become friends with her last weekend. It was supposed to be the three of us, but I suddenly had other things to do so I asked if it’s okay of she goes meet up with her!”

JY: “B-but.. Chaeyoung saw them holding hands.”

SN: “I hold Mi-tan’s hand too when we hang out. She’s very shy but has a really good heart~”

JH: “Y-yeah.. hehe.”

After a brief moment of silence, Chaeyoung spoke up next.

CY: “W-wait a moment..”

SN: “..Eh?”

CY: “..Are you two really dating each other?”

JH: “O-of course we are! Why?”

CY: “..Prove it.”

JH: “W-what!? What do you mean?”

SN: “..Okay, how can we prove it to you?”

Tensions rose as both Sana and Jihyo weren’t sure how they can ‘prove’ themselves as actually dating each other. The youngest girl in the group sat quietly and she finally thought of what they can do.

CY: “..Kiss her.”

NY: “..Huh!?”

JH: “W-WHAT!?”

YR: “Oooh~”

CY: “For sure if you’re both going out, that wouldn’t be a problem for you two, right?”

JY: “T-that’s still something personal for Jihyo and Sana! Jihyo hates kisses and that’s-“

SN: “..Sure.”

Jihyo suddenly tilted her head towards Sana, who just gave a really direct answer, leaving the younger girl completely in shock. For sure, she expected her to say no, given that they were just faking it. However, her response was totally unexpected.

Sana looked at Jihyo as moved her head closer to hers, leaving only a few inches away. Completely flustered, Jihyo’s face was as ripe as a tomato as her ‘girlfriend’ advanced without hesitation. Sana held on her face with both hands and quickly tilted her head to the left and planted a kiss on Jihyo’s cheeks. Everybody was surprised and blushed after witnessing the Japanese girl’s actions as she let go of her ‘lover.’

NY: “..I-I guess that proves it’s just a misunderstanding! Sorry for doubting you, Jihyo.”

JH: “…”

CY: “Y-yeah. That’s more than enough!”

JY: “..Geez. I’m still wondering how Sana fell in love with an idiot like you.”

YR: “It’s her natural charm, I guess.”

SN: “Great! Let’s all get along now, okay? I hope you don’t doubt Jihyo anymore. Anyway, I’ll head to Momoring first. I’ll be back in a bit!”

JH: “..I’ll continue working for now.”

Sana headed to the door to the cooking station while Jihyo went to check on some tables. The former called out to Momo.

SN: “Momoring~ here’s the book you wanted to borrow~”

In a bit, the other Japanese girl showed up and received the item from Sana.

MM: “..Thanks, hehe.”

SN: “Just tell me if you need anything else, okay?”

MM: “..I saw.”

SN: “..Eh? Y-you mean..”

MM: “I had a feeling you two will end up dating.”

Sana didn’t want to mess things up, but she didn’t expect Momo to see what just happened earlier. Maybe it slipped her mind, or just expected her friend to be too busy preparing orders.

SN: “N-NO! We’re just-“

MM: “It’s okay, Sa-tan. I understand how you feel. Jihyo-ssi is really pretty too. You look good together.”

SN: “Ahahaha..” (..Should I tell her the truth? But she’d find out about..)

Jihyo went to them as she handed over an order ticket of a new customer.

JH: “Here you go, Momoring. How about you, Sana? Should I get you a table?”

MM: “Hoooo~”

SN: “Ah, n-no I’m okay! Hehe. I’ll sit with your friends.”

MM: “I’ll go back in the kitchen now, I might be disturbing you both~”

SN: “S-STOP IT!”

JH: “..Huh?”

Momo went back inside the kitchen.

JH: “..What’s going on?”

SN: “..Just ignore Momoring for now.”

As soon as Sana was about to walk towards Nayeon and the others, Jihyo stopped her for a bit.

JH: “W-wait, Sana.. Thanks for.. covering up for me.. again..”

SN: “..Do you have time after your work today?”

JH: “..Huh? Y-yeah.. Why?”

Sana looked back at her and smiled.

SN: “..Let’s talk later.”

JH: “S-sure..”

Sana went back to Nayeon and the others’ table to join them.

SN: “Can I join you guys?~”

JY: “Sure, Sana. Take a seat.”

All the tension finally died down as it looked like they all got convinced by Sana’s words. Jihyo continued to work while observing how Sana and the rest of her friends were doing.

It kind of felt bad for Jihyo though for two reasons. One is that her words are not convincing her friends enough to persuade them in believing her. This made her realize that it will be important for her to balance out her priorities as she shouldn’t really focus all her energy on just Sana. The second reason would be that she got help from Sana. Again. Just like before. She wanted

to lessen the burden for the girl she likes. However, her stepping up and naturally dealing with the problem made her feel she really needs to progress.

Eventually, their table was done eating and had to leave after paying the bill.

JY: “It was a great meal, Jihyo. We’ll drop by again next time!”

YR: “See you!”

CY: “Sorry for doubting you, unnie.”

JH: “Thanks, everyone!”

They left one by one and waited outside until Sana and Nayeon were the only ones left. While Sana went to say goodbye to Momo, Nayeon spoke to Jihyo.

NY: “..Hey, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Yes, unnie?”

NY: “..Let’s talk again soon. There are some things I’d like to talk with you about without the others.”

JH: “..Alright.”

NY: “Thanks. See you.”

Nayeon went out of the restaurant to join the rest of the girls. Meanwhile, Sana went back to Jihyo.

SN: “Is your shift done?”

JH: “N-not yet.. I got about an hour left.”

SN: “Okay. I’ll wait for you at the café in front.”

JH: “Got it.”

Jihyo wasn’t sure why, but she felt that this was going to be an important talk between the two of them. She somewhat felt it’s going to be negative considering the mess she has put the Japanese girl on. Regardless, she knew she must face the consequence of not being careful. She wanted to be ready, even if it meant her relationship with Sana goes back to square one.

After her shift, she changed quickly to meet up with her ‘girlfriend.’

MM: “Meeting up with your fellow lovebird? Hehe.”

JH: “W-What?”

MM: “No need to deny, Jihyo-ssi. I saw the two of you earlier.”

JH: “Y-you must be imagining things!”

That was then that Jihyo realized, she may have screwed up even more than she expected. Now, people in Sana’s personal life also think that the two of them are dating.

MM: “I’m not~ I could hear the two of you very clearly.”

JH: “…”

MM: “Thanks though, Jihyo-ssi. Now Sana can really be genuinely happy. So go ahead and chase after your love!”

JH: “R-right..” (..What did she say? To be genuinely happy? Why?)

Jihyo went ahead and entered the café right in front of the place she’s working at. Sana was there, sitting down at one corner fiddling her phone. The younger girl approached her.

JH: “Hi, Sana. Sorry if you waited too long.”

Sana put her phone down, looked at Jihyo and smiled.

SN: “It’s fine! I just did all my assignments while waiting. I feel more productive at a place like this rather than at my place anyway.”

Jihyo had a few things she wanted to ask Sana, but wanted to start off by apologizing again.

JH: “..Sana, I’m really sorry for this whole mess..”

SN: “It’s fine. I should really be the one to apologize to you. I didn’t expect-“

JH: “No. I’ve had enough.”

Jihyo looked downward, feeling the guilt that has built up inside her that she felt it causing a lot of inconvenience for Sana.

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “I’m really the one at fault here, not you. So please, don’t take the blame. I’ve gotten you far too involved in this and even people like Momo think that we’re really.. dating..”

SN: “Y-yeah.. she saw us earlier..”

JH: “It’s not your fault though. If only I didn’t bring you with me during Nayeon-unnie’s birthday, nothing like this would’ve happened.”

SN: “..I’m still partly to blame though, since I asked you to go on a date with Mi-tan. So don’t blame everything on you.”

It was a really hard thing to talk about for Jihyo, but if she wished to set things right, then there was only one way to do so.

JH: “..I want to fix everything going on around us. I’m really worried that one day, they might find out that you’re working as a rental girlfriend..”

SN: “But how do we do that?”

It was a painful thing to say, but the younger girl understood that it was necessary for them to do in order to avoid any other misunderstanding.

JH: “..We can just tell them we broke up..”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “That way, they won’t pry into your life anymore, and you’d get less involved with the mess I’ve caused.”

SN: “…”

JH: “..We can still remain friends if you’d like to..”

Sana was silent for a while and did not utter a single word. It was really quiet between the two of them that they could hear the conversation of the people from the other table. But suddenly, she replied.

SN: “..No.”

JH: “..Huh? Y-you don’t want to-“

SN: “..I won’t be friends with you.”

JH: “..Ah.. I see..”

SN: “..I want to continue to pretend as your girlfriend.”

JH: “..W-what!?”

Jihyo could not believe what she just heard. At first she thought that Sana would simply agree and just reconsider if they continue their friendship or not. But continuing to pretend as a couple was something she didn’t expect to hear from her. Yet if Jihyo would be perfectly honest with what she wants, it is really to continue this fake relationship.

SN: “..I’m fine continuing with us being a ‘couple’, hehe. Unless you want to still pursue Nayeon-unnie?”

JH: “N-no..”

SN: “..You sound hesitant. Well, you can use this as practice once you get a real girlfriend, okay? I have a few conditions with this though..”

JH: “..What is it?”

SN: “You need to rent me every weekend~ I’ll exempt you with sudden events like earlier though!”

JH: “Ah.. r-right..”

At the end of the day, Sana is still a rental girlfriend. Her time with someone is getting paid, but Jihyo very well felt that every money spent just to be with her was well worth it.

SN: “Another condition is that we’ll only keep this up until you find a real girlfriend.”

JH: “..Okay.”

If only Jihyo was brave enough right there, she could have confessed her feelings for Sana to make this fake relationship something that is true. But she knew she wasn’t ready, not ready for another rejection.

SN: “..Lastly, it’s only by name and depending on the situation, okay? We’re not actually dating so we can be casual when it’s just the two of us.”

JH: “..Understood. Can I ask you something though?”

SN: “Sure!”

JH: “..Why did you decide to.. continue with this?”

SN: “..Eh? W-well.. I want to help you.. find a girlfriend! So I’ll polish you up real good~ Umm.. A-also.. you’re my favorite client! It would be a shame to lose you just because of this mess~ I trust you the most since you’ve been keeping my secret ever since.”

JH: “..Hehe.. We sound like partners in crime.”

SN: “..Partners? I like the sound of that, ehehe~ So, we got a deal then?”

JH: “Y-yeah!”

Sana stood up and packed all her belongings in her bag as she was getting ready to leave.

SN: “Remember that we’ll spend the whole day together this Saturday~ okay? See you then!”

JH: “O-of course!”

As Sana was about to leave, she remembered something that she really wanted to say to Jihyo. She was looking at the opposite side as she was embarrassed to talk about it with her client.

SN: “Umm.. I wanted to say something..”

JH: “..What is it?”

SN: “T-the kiss from earlier..”

JH: “..OH!”

Jihyo also remembered what happened as the two of them turned red just from the thought of it. They weren’t able to see each other blushing though.

SN: “J-just wanted to tell you that I don’t really do that! Okay? Today’s an exception! Ah.. A-and you’re a girl too so.. y-you get what I mean, right!?”

JH: “Y-yeah! Understood!”

Sana turned around to face Jihyo and smiled.

SN: “So.. See you on the weekend, partner~”

JH: “See you!”

Sana hurried out and left the café. Jihyo was left wondering where this is going to. She understood that she really likes Sana, and would want nothing more than for them to be a real couple.

It may seem like things have died down for the meantime, but things were bound to happen now that the world of these girls are already intersecting one another. At least for now, Jihyo is definitely looking forward to the weekend.

JH: “..Partners, huh?”


	8. The Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minatozaki Sana takes Park Jihyo on an exciting date for the entire day. With nothing else between the two of them, what can possibly happen? Will Jihyo learn more about her rental girlfriend?

The next few days continued to pass as peaceful ones. Everything went well. Jihyo was able to rebuild her friends’ trust thanks to Sana, she’s also able to continue with her ‘relationship’ with the latter, and also build it up even more. Momo would also often tease her around as she thought they are dating. However, Sana requested to Jihyo to avoid telling Bang Chan about this ‘relationship’ as she didn’t want her family to hear about it.

Still, there were also two things bothering her. One would be that Nayeon wanted to talk to her in private, but hasn’t contacted her since that day. The other one would be what Momo may have accidentally stated, that Sana would be genuinely happy. The latter bothered Jihyo even more. She sees Sana as a happy-go-lucky and energetic girl that always brightens up her day. But what Momo said made her think, is she really happy or not? Only time will tell. For now, Jihyo is just excited to spend her whole day with the girl she has been dreaming about.

Eventually, the weekend came. As Jihyo left that day free from work, she did not have anything to worry about. What only mattered to her was waking up early and make sure she doesn’t screw up anything.

It was 9:55am. Jihyo waited at the park where she and Sana made an agreement to meet up. Of course she tried to get there earlier than the girl she likes. Other than wanting to create an impression on her, she just wants everything to go smoothly. At exactly 10am, Sana arrived, carrying with her the usual energetic aura.

SN: “Good morning, Jihyo~’

JH: “G-good morning!”

SN: “Hmm, you look nervous today?”

JH: “..W-well, I don’t really have any idea what we’re doing today, hehe.”

SN: “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll enjoy!”

Sana grabbed on Jihyo’s hand and took the lead for their date. They both rode the bus as they headed to their destination. The place was unfamiliar territory for Jihyo so she knew that this will be a completely different experience. If she would be honest, it’s fine for her to spend time anywhere, as long as it was with Sana. The latter slept during their ride for some time as Jihyo did not bother waking her up, knowing that she must have been working hard balancing both her studies and part-time work. Time passed and Jihyo noticed they’re in a somewhat rural area with a few buildings here and there. Eventually, the bus stopped at the next terminal, Sana’s phone rang its alarm, waking her up as she stopped it and stood up, signaling that the two of them are about to go down.

SN: “We’re almost there~”

JH: “..I think I know where we are heading..”

SN: “You sure? Hehe~ Well, you’ll see!”

Finally, they were able to reach their destination.

JH: “I knew it.. We’re on Everland.”

Jihyo remembered that on her previous chats with Sana, she did mention that she wanted to experience and see nature in Everland. However, she wasn’t able to go there before since her friends aren’t interested with it and it was really far. Sana did say she’ll make sure Jihyo enjoys, and she’s already doing so.

SN: “Let’s get in!”

They both lined up and paid for the entrance fee. The younger girl made sure to pay for the two of them despite Sana insisting she’d pay. Eventually they both agreed to go Dutch since it will be collectively expensive throughout their stay there.

SN: “I hope you don’t mind that I’m your first date here in Everland~ Or did you want to go with Nayeonie?”

JH: “O-of course I don’t mind! I’m already excited, hehe.”

The place was beautiful as she has seen in videos. Jihyo always loved nature and being there was something really refreshing for her. She realized that Sana has been listening to her when they went out on their dates before, and used this as a means of pleasing her right now. That’s when Jihyo thought that she should start paying more attention to what the Japanese girl may say.

SN: “So, shall we get going? Hehe~ where would you like to go first?”

JH: “Hmm.. Oh, can we start with the Lost Valley?”

SN: “Sure~ let’s get going!”

The feeling was perfect. It was the place she always wanted to go to, plus she’s beside the person she really likes right now.

They both lined up at the Lost Valley Safari Adventure to experience wildlife up close and personal. Jihyo adores all kinds of animals, yet her family hasn’t had any pet before, while her friends have other interests. Seeing them really close is something that really excited her. From goats, elephants, giraffes and even lions, it was a sight to behold. She got so entertained that Sana herself enjoyed seeing the reactions from Jihyo.

JH: “Wow! Did you see that!?”

SN: “Yeah!”

After the ride, they walked around to see other animals like pandas, polar bears and penguins.

JH: “It’s so cute!”

SN: “The penguin reminds me of Mi-tan~ hehe.”

After a while, they decided to go have lunch at one Japanese restaurant inside the amusement park. During their meal, Jihyo kept on talking about the animals they’ve seen and Sana enjoyed seeing the excited side of her partner for the day.

Eventually, Jihyo noticed that she was yammering a lot to Sana that the latter was not even able to talk. She then suddenly became quiet and turned red out of embarrassment after showing a kind of childish side of her.

JH: “S-sorry..”

SN: “..Eh? What’s wrong?”

JH: “W-well, I was talking too much and.. you must be annoyed..”

SN: “What are you talking about? Of course not! I really enjoyed listening to you~ and it’s refreshing to see you enjoy yourself like that~ You’re usually a little stiff, but I like this side of yours!”

Jihyo blushed even more seeing how understanding Sana is. She’s perfect. Too perfect even. Anybody could easily fall for her charms. This made Jihyo wonder though, what is Sana’s weakness? She was bound to still have a side that she isn’t able to show others. Was it the one Momo mentioned? Was Sana really not genuinely happy?

JH: “T-thanks..”

SN: “Just go on! So, which one impressed you the most so far?”

JH: “W-well, I guess it’s the elephant! I never imagined it to be..”

The day was just getting started , but it was already the best for Jihyo. They soon finished their meal and next headed to the Amazon Express. It was a fun ride, and the water was cold, yet what made the whole experience even more enjoyable for her was Sana’s laugh and smile. It was so contagious that she ends up focusing on her expressions more rather than the actual ride. After the ride, they sat down at one vacant bench and just observed their surroundings.

SN: “Ah, it’s getting cold! I didn’t expect a lot of water to splash on us!”

JH: “Wait, I think I saw a stall with hot chocolate. Let me get some for us.”

SN: “Thanks, Jihyo~”

Jihyo lined up at the stall and purchased a drink to warm themselves up. As she was heading back to Sana’s side, she noticed something different about her for just a very short moment: a blank expression. It was as if the Japanese girl was in deep thought that it was showing something out of her she was hiding from everyone else. She then remembered something Nayeon used to tell her: the happiest of people usually have the saddest stories behind them. This might be true as it was the first time she saw Sana like that. It was a brief moment, before Sana’s facial expression looked bright and bubbly again. She moved closer and handed over the cup of chocolate.

JH: “Here you go, Sana.”

Sana looked at her and smiled, taking the cup with both hands.

SN: “Thanks, Jihyo!”

As they both drank, they continued to observe the people passing by. From families, friends, and well as couples. Jihyo decided to chat a little more with her.

JH: “..Is it your first time here?”

Surprised with the question, Sana looked at her before going back to look at her own drink.

SN: “..Not really. I went on a date here before, hehe.”

JH: “Oh. So that’s why you’re kind of familiar here.”

SN: “..I guess so, hehe.”

After another sip of her chocolate, Sana looked at the sky as it looked gloomier than usual, despite the time being around the afternoon.

SN: “..Do you think it will rain today?”

JH: “..Hmm?”

Jihyo looked up to the sky as well.

JH: “..Well, I hope it doesn’t. I did bring an umbrella though. Don’t worry.”

SN: “..Okay.”

After one final sip of her drink, Sana stood up again.

SN: “..Alright! I’m back to full energy~ shall we get going? There will be a Penguin Animal Talk show in a few minutes at Penguin Island. After that will be the Capybara Animal Talk show not far from there~”

Seeing Sana all pumped up again felt much better for Jihyo. But she very well understood that if she really wish to make her dream a reality, she needs to know more about that side of her. Right now, she just wants to understand more of Sana that goes beyond her outer shell.

JH: “..Sounds exciting. Let’s go now so we get a good view!”

SN: “Okay~”

The two girls continued with their date and they both enjoyed the animal shows that afternoon. After a while, they decided to ride the cable car to see a good view atop Everland. Jihyo stared outside in amazement of how beautiful the scenery was.

SN: “You really love nature, huh?”

JH: “Yeah! When I was a kid, my family and I used to go on camping trips together. It was the best! Just roasting marshmallows in an open fire..”

SN: “Maybe we can go camping with everyone next time, hehe~”

JH: ‘”That would be nice.”

After a few minutes, Jihyo noticed that the sky has been darker beyond the mountain, potentially a sign that it might be raining later.

JH: “We better be ready later. Looks like it’ll really rain.”

SN: “..Y-yeah..”

As Jihyo was admiring the scenery, she was not able to see the worried look in Sana’s face. Even then, the latter tried her best to hide her worries and went along with Jihyo’s amusement, just to make sure she doesn’t ruin the mood. Upon reaching the top, they began taking pictures of each other to keep as a souvenir. While looking over the park, Jihyo noticed a crowd gathering at the central square.

JH: “..Is there going to be a show later?”

SN: “Yeah! I heard it’s like a Halloween themed parade or something. Would you like to see it?”

JH: “Oh, well we’re here at Everland already. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts~”

SN: “Okay! Show will start in an hour based on this guide map. We can have dinner first.”

JH: “Sure. Let’s head down.”

They headed back to the main area and decided to have dinner at an American themed restaurant. While eating they continued to talk about the things they enjoyed during their visit.

JH: “I wish we could’ve ridden the T-Express, but the line is three hours long!”

SN: “..Next time? Hehe.”

Jihyo blushed just by the thought that it was Sana inviting her to go back to Everland in the future.

JH: “S-sure! Hehe..”

SN: “But next time, you pay for everything~”

JH: “W-what!?”

SN: “Kidding~”

They could have ended their day right there. It was a perfect way to wrap up everything. However, Jihyo noticed that it was starting to rain outside.

JH: “Damn. It really rained. So will the show be cancelled today?”

Jihyo tried to look outside what the people were doing. Several tried to look for a place to roof themselves as the rain started to pour harder.

JH: “..I guess we just stay here for now, Sana.”

SN: “…”

As Jihyo looked at the Japanese girl, she looked as if she was spacing out and in deep thought. The former waved her hand in front of Sana’s face just to get her attention.

JH: “Sanaaa?”

SN: “..Eh? S-sorry, hehe. I was thinking what we’ll do.”

JH: “Oh.. it’s alright.”

The younger girl knew something was up. Even earlier, Sana looked bothered that it may potentially rain earlier. And now that it is, she doesn’t look comfortable at all.

JH: “..Are you sure you’re fine?”

SN: “..I am! Don’t worry, hehe.”

They were already done with dinner. While waiting, they heard that the show was cancelled and some of the other attractions were closed for safety reasons. Time continued to pass, and the weather did not seem to have plans to change anytime soon. Eventually, there was thunder. Jihyo looked outside surprised.

JH: “W-whoa.. Why wasn’t this broadcasted in the news? I didn’t expect this to be a thunderstorm.”

Jihyo looked at Sana again, who this time looked really not the usual energetic girl she has been spending time with. Her eyes were wide open as her hands covered her ears, trembling in fear.

JH: “..Sana?”

A lightning bolt flashed outside of Everland, followed by a loud thunder roaring.

SN: “AAAAAHHHHHH!!! STOP!!!”

JH: “S-Sana!”

That was then it all came in to her. Sana was afraid of thunder. Jihyo immediately switched to the other side of the table to sit beside the Japanese girl. She made sure to wrap both her arms around her and covered her ears as well. Everybody inside the restaurant had their attention on both of them but Jihyo did not bother to even care. She just wanted to make sure Sana felt safe.

JH: “I-it’s okay! I’m right here with you! We’re safe inside here.”

Sana continued to tremble in fear, cry and scream every time she could hear the thunder. Trying to think of a plan, the younger girl brought out her phone and earphones and wore them on Sana. She put on some pop music on her playlist while making sure the volume was loud enough to eliminate the sounds of thunder.

Sana looked at Jihyo after what she did, surprised about how the latter stood up to make sure she’s feeling less scared of the bad weather. She also made sure that both her hands held her hands as well.

JH: “..I’m not sure if that helps, but.. I hope that makes you feel safer.”

Sana’s tears slowly stopped, her hands were still shaking. However, it was clear she’s now feeling much better compared to earlier. The two girls stared at each other but eventually put their gaze elsewhere after turning red. After about half an hour, things started to calm down, the downpour became weaker and the thunders have stopped.

JH: “..I think it’s okay now, Sana. You can take off the earphones.”

Sana did not hear her so Jihyo just gestured that it should be okay now. At first the Japanese girl hesitated, but slowly she took off the earphones. After a brief moment of silence, she eventually replied to Jihyo.

SN: “..I’m sorry..”

JH: “Huh? You don’t have to apologize.”

SN: “B-but I caused you some trouble and.. I should have told you earlier.”

JH: “It’s fine. Really. At least I got to see another side of you, hehe.”

SN: “..Eh? What do you mean?”

Jihyo immediately looked away as Sana’s face was really close to hers.

JH: “N-nothing!”

SN: “..Thank you, Jihyo.”

After some time, the rain finally stopped, the night lights at the theme park were lit to show its wonderful colors. Both Sana and Jihyo went out of the restaurant like the other guests. This time, Jihyo was the one holding on to Sana’s hand firmly.

SN: “..Is it really okay now?”

JH: “Yeah, don’t worry. If it goes on, just use my earphones and blast on the volume, alright?”

SN: “Y-yes..”

With only just a little over an hour left, they waited for the fireworks display being set up at the main square. People gathered, families and couples at the central area in anticipation.

JH: “..I really enjoyed today, Sana. Thank you for spending time with me here.”

SN: “You’re welcome, hehe. I’m glad you were fine with my company.”

JH: “Of course I am!”

SN: “..I’m sure you’d do well with your future girlfriend too~”

That was when Jihyo wasn’t able to react. She remembered that Sana was just a rental girlfriend with the purpose of making Jihyo ready once she gets in a relationship. If only she had the courage to admit her feelings to Sana, maybe everything will turn out for the best.

SN: “..Do you still like Nayeonie?”

JH: “..I don’t know..”

SN: “Maybe you should face her then confirm it yourself. I noticed you kept looking at her too back when we met each other again.”

JH: “..She did say she wanted to talk privately. I guess I’ll try.”

SN: “Good! Maybe this time, if you really think your feelings are there, be honest and tell it to her, okay?”

JH: “..But she knows we’re ‘dating’.”

SN: “We could just call it off and say we ‘broke up’, right?”

JH: “But that’s..”

SN: “..That’s?”

Jihyo could not continue. Yet, she wanted to say that it wasn’t something she wanted. If given the opportunity to talk to Nayeon again, she knew she would just do it for closure and turn her down. This time around, it is Sana who she wants to be with. But Jihyo was afraid to know how would the Japanese girl react.

JH: “..Nothing.”

SN: “Go do your best! I’ll be sure to cheer you on~ If not, I’m sure there are a lot of people who will really like you too.”

The fireworks display has started and the crowd was cheering a lot. Music was playing and created an amazing pyro musical that everybody enjoyed. Sana herself was engrossed by the magnificent beauty in front of them. However, Jihyo wasn’t. She had a lot of thoughts running in her mind. Just by the fact that Sana told her those things made her feel that she was only there to support her, and have not shown any interest in her as a partner. That was when she thought, if there was no chance to be with her, maybe it’s alright to confess right there. It would be great if she accepts. If not, then she just had to endure everything all over again. With her mind going blank, her thoughts were unable to control herself voicing out what she was thinking.

JH: “..I want it to be you.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Immediately, Jihyo came back to reality, she just mentioned something that she shouldn’t have. If Sana says no, it will all go back to ground zero. Things will get awkward between them and might end the close relationship they have had recently. They would literally ‘break up’ considering the fact that Sana isn’t doing this job to find a partner. Thus, it contradicts what she wants to do.

The next few seconds was hell for her. Bot knowing how Sana would react made it difficult for her to breathe. But finally, Sana responded again.

SN: “..Did you say something, Jihyo? I’m sorry, it’s really loud right now!”

JH: “..Huh? N-no, it’s nothing..”

After the pyro musical, all the visitors started to go home one after another. A few stopped by the souvenir shop including Sana and Jihyo.

SN: “Let’s choose for each other so it’s memorable, okay?”

JH: “Hmm, okay.”

As Jihyo went around, she eventually found something nice that she wanted to give Sana. She looked for the girl and the two of them presented the item.

SN: “So.. what did you get for me?”

JH: “Umm.. here!”

Jihyo brought out two matching phone straps of a fox that they both saw during the daytime.

SN: “Wow, this is cute! Wait, you bought two of those?”

JH: “W-well, it was sold as a pair. You know.. those couple charms that they sell.. And you really liked the fennec fox earlier. So yeah..”

SN: “..Wow, you’ve been really observant, hehe~ I like it! Make sure you use the other one too!”

JH: “..Huh? R-really?”

SN: “Of course, silly! I’m your ‘girlfriend’ after all~”

JH: “R-right, hehe. And what did you get for me?”

SN: “Here!”

Sana handed over an elephant plushie that Jihyo really liked.

JH: “Oh, this is really cute! Thank you, Sana!”

SN: “Glad you liked it~”

Afterwards, they paid for the items and went on their way back as well. It took a bit of time for them to go back home as there were a lot of people in queue for the bus. After about half an hour, they both got in the next bus heading back to Seoul.

Tired, Sana couldn’t help but doze off from the ride again. Wanting to make sure that her infatuation feels comfortable, Jihyo put Sana’s head on her shoulders. Rather than resting, Jihyo just stared at her sleeping face, which removed all the fatigue she felt. Jihyo also thought of everything that happened that day. The excitement, the things she noticed, and more things that she learned about the girl she’s longing for.

JH: “..Next time.”

Eventually, they reached the terminal and got off the bus.

SN: “Sorry, hehe. I fell asleep again~”

JH: “It’s alright. It was pretty tiring after all.”

SN: “..Are you going home now?”

JH: “Yeah. Thanks a lot for today, Sana. I really enjoyed.”

SN: “Me too~”

JH: “..Next time then?”

SN: “..Only if I need to continue being your girlfriend, hehe.”

JH: “Hehe.. take care, partner.”

SN: “You too, partner!”

The two went their separate ways as they were able to wrap everything up. Without a doubt, it was the best day Jihyo ever had. Still, more questions came to her mind.

She still doesn’t know if Sana is genuinely happy or not. After seeing her blank expression for a brief moment, she felt that there was still something about the Japanese girl she doesn’t know about and will really be something she had to understand about her. Time can only tell if she will discover this.

Another would be Sana’s fear of thunder. Of course, people have fears. However, Sana’s reaction was beyond a normal one. Somehow, Jihyo felt this could be related to a possible traumatic event for her in the past. Regardless, she has to be very sensitive in such situation. Jihyo was glad that she was able to help her out during her time of distress.

Lastly, was her sudden indirect confession. Of course it may look like Sana did not hear her. But the act itself was something she felt was dumb of her to do. What ifs come to mind, such that what if Sana actually heard her, but pretended to not hear it? Or what if Sana heard her for real? Would they be dating now? All of these things are questions left unanswered for her.

Thinking about it just stresses her out, so she decided to just let it be for the night. Time will tell what happens next. After getting home, Jihyo made sure to send a text message to Sana saying she arrived home safely and wishing the older girl good night. She got a reply in a bit and felt happy to call it a day right after.

The following day, Jihyo decided it was the day she’d talk to Nayeon in private. However, it’s not that she’s confused with herself and her feelings for the girl. Rather, it was to put this chapter in her life to a close as she knew it was Sana that she really likes. After messaging her in the morning if she’d like to meet up, she got an immediate reply.

Nayeon:

‘Sure, I’m free today. Let’s meet at the café in front of your work.’

Jihyo continued with her day typically. She went to her part-time work and made sure to do her best. Afterwards, she met up with her first love at the café.

NY: “Sit down, Jihyo. What would you like to get?”

JH: “I’m fine, Nayeon-unnie. I’ll order my own.”

NY: “Alright.”

After Jihyo ordered her drink, she sat down with Nayeon.

JH: “So.. what are we going to talk about?”

NY: “..Did you and Sana go out yesterday?”

JH: “..Huh. Y-yeah we did. Why?”

NY: “That’s nice. I guess you’re enjoying her company then.”

JH: “..Yeah.”

The atmosphere became silent between them as they drank their coffee. Eventually, Nayeon spoke again.

NY: “..I’m really surprised you found Sana after you confessed to me.”

JH: “…”

NY: “..Do you want to know why I said no?”

JH: “..It’s because of Jeongyeon, right?”

Nayeon sipped on her drink and smiled after hearing Jihyo’s answer.

NY: “..That’s what I thought you’d think, hehe. But no.”

JH: “..Huh?”

Jihyo started to get confused. At first she really thought that it was she liked Jeongyeon as to why the older girl rejected her. However, it felt like she was about to learn something she didn’t know.

NY: “..What if I told you.. I said no to you.. because I really liked you?”

JH: “W-WHAT!?”

Jihyo stood up from her seat in surprise of Nayeon’s answer.

JH: “W-wait.. it doesn’t make sense why though!”

NY: “..I lied about it.”

JH: “..Why though?”

NY: “I was.. afraid of commitment. Afraid that things will change between us.. and that if things don’t work out, we won’t be able to go back to how we were.. That’s why after that, I tried to avoid you as much as possible. But I think now.. I want to try..”

Jihyo was surprised to hear this. She firmly believed that Nayeon had feelings for her childhood friend. However, the older girl also confirmed as to why she didn’t even try to keep in touch with her a lot after those events. Besides this, Jihyo became even more confused. She came up with the answer that first came to her mind.

JH: “..I already have Sana..”

Nayeon took one final sip of her coffee and put the cup down.

NY: “..It’s fine, Jihyo.”

JH: “N-no, it’s not fine..”

NY: “That’s not what I meant.”

JH: “..Huh?”

Nayeon moved closer and whispered to Jihyo’s ear. Leaving Jihyo in a shock.

NY: “..I know about Sana’s secret.”


	9. The Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihyo met up with Nayeon and the latter revealed to the younger girl that she knows about Sana's identity as a rental girlfriend. With her back in the corner, Jihyo tries whatever she can to protect the girl she likes now.

Nayeon’s voice sent shivers down her spine. Of all people, it was her that found out about Sana’s job. Jihyo wanted to speak, but her voice wasn’t coming out. Her throat became dry just from thinking what could be the possible consequences of this situation. If Jihyo would be honest, she wouldn’t care about herself be made fun of. She was past that unlike before. Now, she’s more concerned of ruining Sana’s life if it comes out that she’s working as a rental girlfriend.

As Jihyo wasn’t responding, which Nayeon expected, the latter just continued with her statement.

NY: “I know you’re probably confused and asking yourself, how did I know? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you.”

Nayeon sat back at her chair more relaxed, moving further from Jihyo’s ear. No matter what the situation is, she’s pretty sure that the older girl really knows about it. Other than how Nayeon found out about Sana, Jihyo’s also concerned about what she can possibly do to make her keep it a secret.

NY: “It happened last weekend, on Sunday, when Yeri told me about you going out with someone else. Of course, I was concerned if you’re really seeing another person.”

Nayeon brought out her phone and checked the time before putting it on the table. Meanwhile, Jihyo just wanted to hear the rest of the story.

NY: “..And I don’t really buy it that you met and dated Sana just a few days after I.. rejected you. I know you’re not that kind of person. I’ve known you for several years too.”

JH: “…”

NY: “That’s why I tried to find out more about Sana instead. I googled her name and she popped up as a student in Yonsei University. While I was chatting with Yeri, I learned that Chaeyoung told her she sometimes sees the girl you were with in the same school.”

Jihyo’s drink arrived at their table. However, she wasn’t really in the mood to take a sip. She kept on thinking what lead to this situation. Meanwhile, Nayeon continued.

NY: “You didn’t know because I didn’t tell Jeongyeon as well, but I went to Yonsei University on my own last Monday. I tried to wait for her at the university gates just to see if Sana and the other girl knew each other, and bingo. I saw them both chatting each other when they were at the gate. I would have easily trusted that everything was fine by then, that she’s a friend you met up with or something. But a few more things didn’t add up.”

At this point, Jihyo knew something may have happened that really revealed something that made Nayeon conclude about Sana’s job.

NY: “Besides me thinking you just met her all of a sudden and took you so fast to date each other, I overheard something they were talking about.”

JH: “..A-about what?”

NY: “..Sana was asking her about how did your date go.”

~ Flashback Start ~

Sana and Mina just exited their university. There weren’t a lot of students there. Nayeon was hiding behind the closest tree from Sana and Mina.

SN: “Say Mi-tan, since were outside now, can you tell me how was your date with Jihyo?”

NY: (..Date with Jihyo? What’s going on? Aren’t they dating?)

MN: “..She’s really nice.. just like you..”

SN: “Wow, so it’s true! You really talked to her~ that’s an amazing progress Mi-tan! I’m sure you’ll become even better!”

MN: “..I’m not sure.. It might be because of Jihyo only..”

SN: “..Oh, you like her? Hehe.”

MN: “..I-it’s not like that..”

SN: “..I’m kidding~ Anyway, I have to go now. See you!”

Sana and Mina parted ways. Meanwhile, Nayeon grew even more suspicious of Sana’s identity. She decided to follow her while keeping a safe distance. The older girl had a lot of questions in mind. First of, why did she let Jihyo and that Mi-tan girl go on a date? Aren’t they seeing each other? And why was Sana even teasing her friend about it? This lead to her to try following Sana a little bit more.

After about ten minutes of trailing her, Sana stopped outside a bowling alley and talked to an average looking guy, short and skinny, wearing a different school uniform that’s from another university.

NY: (..What the f*ck? She’s seeing another guy!? Not the good looking type though. No, wait..)

Nayeon tried to listen to their conversation.

??: “Hehe, I’m a bit nervous.. it’s my first time.”

SN: “Don’t be~ Okay? I’m your girlfriend after all~”

And she heard more.

??: “S-should I pay now?”

SN: “Ah.. Later, hehe. Let’s go in!”

Sana grabbed on the guy’s hand and they both entered the bowling alley. Nayeon no longer followed them and thought about what’s going on, Sana’s identity, and what Jihyo has been doing all this time.

NY: “Sana is.. a rental girlfriend?”

~ Flashback End ~

NY: “..And that’s how I found out. I’m assuming that Mi-tan girl is the same, right?”

Jihyo didn’t wish to respond, but also knew that if she didn’t, the two girls might get in trouble. So she proceeded in trying to know more about Nayeon’s intentions.

JH: “..Will you tell the others?”

Nayeon just looked at the younger girl, trying to maintain her composure but was definitely still nervous about the situation. She smiled and replied.

NY: “..I don’t really need to.”

JH: “..Huh? Y-you mean-“

NY: “If you agree to some of the things I’m about to tell you.”

Considering that Nayeon have her hands around their necks already, Jihyo understood that this is much better than Sana and Mina getting revealed.

JH: “..Alright, what is it?”

NY: “..Stop seeing Sana from now on.”

JH: “W-what!? But why? It’s not like anything harmful!”

NY: “..I’m telling you to do this because it’s also for you. Hear me out first.”

JH: “..Okay.”

NY: “You’ve been going out with a rental girlfriend like every week, right? I checked the price here in Korea, and it’s not cheap for students like us. You’re not just paying her, but even the expenses during the date are shouldered by you. I’m assuming this is also the reason you started working part time.”

JH: “..Yeah.”

NY: “..That’s not healthy at all, Jihyo. So you’re exerting effort in working just to see a girl every week that will only grant you temporary happiness. In the long run, you’ll just ruin yourself even more.”

JH: “..I’m fine, Nayeon-unnie. It’s my choice anyway.”

NY: “..So you like her for real.”

JH: “…”

NY: “..Does she even like you back?”

JH: “..I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

NY: “..You definitely do. There’s no other reason you’d pay so much money every single week just to be with her and enjoy a temporary feeling.”

By this time, Jihyo knew she had to speak up for herself as well. She finally looked at Nayeon in the eyes, and replied.

JH: “..It may be temporary, but she helped me a lot during those darkest times I’ve had. Those times that I got hurt when you.. rejected me. That’s why even if it’s just for a short time, I’m glad I can be with her.”

NY: “..You need to wake up, Jihyo. She’s a rental girlfriend. She does this for a living.”

JH: “..I know.”

NY: “..Alright then how about this? Let’s say you become a real couple with Sana. Are you fine with her continuing to do this job flirting around with other guys? Do you think she would really stop if you wish her to stop it? Haven’t you thought of the possibility of you potentially getting cheated for someone else if she ends up finding a partner she likes way more than you?”

Jihyo was left speechless. Nayeon’s words really hit her. Of course, the older girl didn’t really mean any harm about it, but she knew that’s how she really is, being frank with her words because she only wished the best for her. And Nayeon was also correct to some extent. Yet she can’t help but feel that Sana just isn’t like that.

NY: “..You don’t need to see her anymore, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Why?”

NY: “..Like I told you, I also like you. And I’m sorry for turning you down before. But now I’m sure that I want to give it a try because I don’t want you to end up hurting yourself. So go out with me.”

Jihyo became silent, and Nayeon just let her be. She knew that she was thinking a lot about what would happen should the younger girl accept these things. Even for Jihyo, protecting Sana’s identity comes first, and felt that it was her turn to protect her partner. After a long time, Jihyo finally spoke.

JH: “..Nayeon-unnie, I really liked you for a long time, you know.”

NY: “..I’m really sorry back then, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Sana really helped me become a better person. That’s why I owe her a lot. It came to the point that we’re already friends too.”

NY: “…”

JH: “..And yes, I also know it’s really costing me a lot of money. However..”

NY: “..Huh?”

JH: “..I’m really confused with how I feel right now. I mean, we could easily just go out starting today if I wanted to, but a part of me does not want to stop seeing Sana.”

NY: “Jihyo..”

JH: “..I’m really sorry, unnie..”

Jihyo bowed her head down in front of Nayeon as she definitely knew the older girl was speaking partial truths she needed to be reminded of the more she kept on falling for Sana.

NY: “..Heh. So now it’s you turning things around on me.”

JH: “…”

NY: “..So you’re fine with me telling everyone about Sana’s job?”

JH: “..No. I don’t think you will tell anyone.”

NY: “..And why is that?”

JH: “..Because that’s not the Nayeon-unnie I fell in love with.”

Nayeon was left out of words to respond to Jihyo. It was true. Nayeon didn’t really have the intention of telling it to anyone else, as she perfectly knew hurting Jihyo is the last thing she wishes to do. And judging from how the younger girl reacted, she understood that Jihyo was really in love with Sana. She may try to explain further that she’s trying to save Jihyo from pain in the

future by experiencing something painful now, but she has no right to do so. Especially when she herself made Jihyo suffer the pain of being rejected because of her uncertainties.

Nayeon then stood up and smiled at Jihyo.

NY: “..You really surprise me at times, Jihyo. Hehe. Maybe that’s why I really like you.”

She picked up her bag and left a tip at the table.

JH: “..You’re leaving, unnie?”

NY: “Yup. I think we’re done talking for today. I got some things to do too.”

JH: “..I’m sorry.”

NY: “Hey, it’s fine. At least now I know, this is how it feels to be rejected too. I know what to do starting tomorrow.”

JH: “..And that is?”

Nayeon placed her hand on Jihyo’s shoulder and gave her a smile.

NY: “..I’ll just have to win you back and prove to you my worth.”

Jihyo turned red after hearing the older girl’s declaration as she really showed the kind of attitude that Jihyo liked about her. A strong determined spirit that won’t back down from a challenge. Nayeon then left the café, leaving Jihyo all by herself as she thought of what just happened.

She still could not believe it, her first love actually likes her. As much as she wanted to pinch herself to check if she’s dreaming or not, she very well knew everything was real. Other than this, she couldn’t believe that Sana’s secret was found out, and that somehow, she avoided any further trouble down the line, at least for now.

JH: “..Maybe.. if you were honest about it, we’d be a couple already, Nayeon-unnie.. But if you also hadn’t rejected me, I wouldn’t have met Sana too..”

Everything happens for a reason. Sooner or later, somebody would really be able to find out about Sana’s job, just like how Nayeon did. And even more so, that they only have a fake relationship. Time can only tell, but she wishes to use that time before it runs out.

Jihyo then finished up her drink and headed back to her place, still trying to clear her mind. Now knowing that Nayeon likes her, she’s not sure if her feelings would reignite and take her back to the older girl especially when the latter made such declaration. She knows she’s weak and doesn’t know more truths about Sana.

Meanwhile, Momo was on her way to the central square Yonsei University. There weren’t a lot of people as it was a Sunday. She easily spotted the person she was looking for sitting by the fountain.

MM: “Heeey, Sa-tan!”

She waved at the girl as she approached her. Sana looked at her and stood up, greeted with a smile and approached Momo as well.

SN: “Hi, Momoring! Thanks and sorry for asking you to come all the way here.”

MM: “No problem! Anyway, here you go~”

Momo handed over the book she borrowed from Sana the other day.

SN: “Thanks!”

MM: “How come you didn’t just drop by at the restaurant?”

SN: “Ah.. I had some other things to do today, hehe. Why?”

MM: “I could have handed the book over to Jihyo-ssi so she can give it to you, hehe..”

SN: “W-well, we had different plans today. So I didn’t want to bother her.”

MM: “Okay~ but I’m really happy for you too, you know?”

SN: “..Eh?”

MM: “After what happened, I thought that you wouldn’t-”

SN: “T-that’s a completely different thing! Okay!?”

MM: “So, Jihyo-ssi doesn’t know about it?”

Sana perfectly knew what Momo was talking about. She paused, and then shook her head. It’s not that she had to tell it to Jihyo, but since they are pretending to be a couple, she might need to share something to her about her past.

MM: “You told it to me and Chan though.”

SN: “..I-I’ll tell it to her, okay? Just.. not now.”

MM: “Hey, relax. It’s not like I’m telling you that you should. You’re becoming serious again.”

SN: “..Don’t tell it to Jihyo, okay? I’ll do it eventually.”

MM: “Okay~ Anyway, wanna eat?”

After such a serious conversation, Sana reset herself and smiled again, returning to the happy-go-lucky girl that she is. She nodded and they both went to a nearby Korean comfort food diner to eat. As they passed along Yonsei University dormitories, one particular face went out of the main door. Sana saw her and immediately called to her.

SN: “Ah, Chaeyoungie! How’s it going?”

Chaeyoung saw her, surprised that they happen to see each other during their free time. Although it shouldn’t be a surprise, considering they both study at the same university.

CY: “Hi, Sana-unnie. I’m doing fine, and you?”

SN: “Just great! Anyway, wanna have dinner with us?”

MM: “..You know her, Sa-tan?”

SN: “Yup! A friend of Jihyo’s friend that’s studying here in Yonsei.”

CY: “Hello, I’m Chaeyoung.”

MM: “I’m Momo!”

SN: “So, what do you say, Chaengie?”

CY: “Sounds good. I’m about to have dinner anyway.”

SN: “Great!”

The three girls went together to eat some Korean comfort food. There, Chaeyoung discovered that Momo works at the same restaurant she met Jihyo and Momo learned how they got to know the younger girl.

CY: “Wow.. It’s a small world. How about the other girl, Mina?”

SN: “Well she doesn’t go out a lot, hehe. So she might be at her dorm.”

CY: “I see..”

Sana remembered that today was the first time Mina tried to accept a new client after her practice date with Jihyo. This was a big challenge for the timid girl as she does not know what to expect from her client.

SN: (Maybe I’ll try messaging her and ask how it’s going. That might make her feel better.)

MM: “Say, Chaeyoungie. Are you single?”

Chaeyoung got surprised with Momo’s sudden question. She blushed just with the immediate unexpected curiosity of the Japanese girl.

CY: “W-WHAT!?”

SN: “Momoring! You don’t just suddenly ask questions like that!”

CY: “W-why do you ask?”

MM: “Oh, I just got curious, hehe. You look like the type that gets all the attention from girls.”

CY: “Err.. I’m single.”

MM: “Ohh.. okay~ Anyway, let’s eat!”

The three of them all continued to chat and have fun. However, Sana can’t help but think why Momo suddenly asked about Chaeyoung. In a way, her hunch is that her friend likes the short girl. After their meal, they had to go separate ways.

SN: “It’s been fun hanging out with you, Chaengie! Let’s do this again sometime~”

CY: “Sure! Momo-unnie is pretty funny too. It’s been great.”

MM: “Hey! That is actually a compliment, right? Right?”

SN: “Are you heading back to the dorms?”

CY: “I’ll need to buy some art materials first, see you again!”

MM: “Bye!”

The girls went on opposite directions. Chaeyoung headed to the shopping district to buy a few things she needed for her next artwork. On her way there, she noticed at one corner someone very particular, the same girl that was with Jihyo last week.

CY: (That’s.. Mina? What is she doing here? Sana-unnie said she was probably at her place. And why is he with that man?)

Chaeyoung got curious and approached them slowly. Soon enough she overheard the man talking.

??: “I can’t believe it. My three hours is almost up and you barely talked to me! I want a refund!”

CY: (..Three hours? A refund? What is he.. Hey!)

The man gripped on Mina’s wrist as the shy girl struggled to break free. Chaeyoung immediately ran to her side and shouted at the man.

CY: “Stop harassing her! I’ll call the police!”

??: “Tch, f*ck this. What a scam! I shouldn’t have even tried this!”

The guy immediately let go of Mina and left before causing any bigger commotion. The Japanese girl held on her hurting wrist and looked down in disappointment of how she did with her first client after Jihyo. Chaeyoung looked at her with concern.

CY: “..Sorry. Are you okay?”

MN: “…”

Mina just nodded in response to the girl who saved her.

CY: “..Let’s go report this to the police station.”

MN: “..No.. it’s okay.. Thank you..”

Mina soon walked away at a fast pace leaving Chaeyoung all by herself.

CY: “H-hey, wait!”

The short girl tried to absorb everything that happened just now. What really surprised her were the words that the man just said.

CY: (That guy mentioned about a refund.. Wait! Is Mina-unnie.. No she was trying to escape.. Unless she’s.. but why would Sana-unnie have them both go out?)

Somehow, Chaeyoung is getting more and more suspicious again of Sana and Mina’s nature. She decided to keep it low for the meantime and try to find out about it on her own as trying to interrogate them might not lead to anything from the truth. Soon, she headed to the art material shop to finish her agenda for the night.

Meanwhile, Nayeon headed to the Yoo family residence. She pressed the doorbell and out came her friend, Jeongyeon.

JY: “..You’re visiting pretty late today. We got school tomorrow too. Is it important?”

Nayeon raised a plastic bag she got from the nearby convenience store containing a few cans of beer.

NY: “I wanna have a drink.”

JY: “..Looks like I can’t say no anyway. Come in.”

Nayeon entered the house and they both went to Jeongyeon’s room. The latter got some ice from the fridge while the older girl brought out her beverage. She poured them on the glasses containing ice and they started to drink.

JY: “..Okay. Talk.”

After downing an entire can in one go, Nayeon started speaking.

NY: “..Today, I told Jihyo that I like her.”

JY: “W-what!? You know she’s dating Sana, right?”

NY: “Yeah.. I felt that I had to say it already.”

JY: “Well, I told you that you should’ve said yes to her when she confessed to you.. It’s too late now.”

Yes. Jeongyeon knew that Nayeon also had feelings for Jihyo as she was trying to bridge the two before. However, the older girl’s fear of change and commitment was something that pushed her back.

NY: “..Shut up.”

JY: “So.. what do you plan on doing then? Let her go?”

NY: “..Nope.”

JY: “..Trying to take her for yourself isn’t a nice thing to do you know.”

NY: “..You don’t know anything, Jeongyeon. People are free to love anyone even if they’re seeing someone else already."

JY: “..Whatever, just drink it all the way. I’ll prepare the extra bed for you. Feels like you’ll end up sleeping after this.”

NY: “I’m not that weak, you know..”

JY: “You always say that but end up getting knocked out. I’m doing this to lessen my problems with you, idiot.”

Jeongyeon stood up and got the extra mattress on her closet and placed it on the floor.

NY: “..Thanks.”

JY: “It’s fine. But you owe me on this, okay? You guys are probably already planning something for my birthday. So make sure it’s gonna be fun.”

NY: “..I’ll think of something. You don’t make plans anyway.”

JY: “Alright. Let’s drink it out tonight!”

At the end of the day, Nayeon didn’t want to do anything that would hurt Jihyo. Her knowing about Sana’s job isn’t something she plan on telling. She just needs to do her part and win back the young girl she really likes.

Back at Jihyo, she was already in her apartment just killing time reading some manhwa through her phone. Yet, she could not seem to focus. She felt empty inside after the conversation she had with Nayeon. She could be happy right now knowing that the girl she liked actually likes her back. But things changed. She knows she likes Sana and can’t force herself to not like her,

despite it all being just a pretend relationship. She knew as well that if it weren’t for her first love rejecting her, she wouldn’t have had the fateful encounter she had with the Japanese girl that’s making her heart skip a beat.

Jihyo understood that the only answer to this melancholy she’s feeling is to hear Sana’s voice and talk to her. Maybe it was out of desperation, but after looking at the girl’s contact number, she pressed the call button. Soon after, she realized she’s probably doing something that she shouldn’t. However, with just a single ring, the call was answered.

~ Call Start ~

SN: “Hello? You surprised me, Jihyo! I was on my phone, hehe. What’s up?”

JH: “S-sorry! I kind of called by mistake..”

SN: “..You sure? That’s a little weird.”

JH: “Y-yeah.. hehe.”

SN: “Anyway, how was your day?”

JH: “..It’s okay.”

SN: “..Something happened, huh? That’s not the kind of response someone would have if you’re really okay. So why did you call?”

Somewhat, Jihyo was torn between telling Sana about what really happened. She didn’t want her infatuation to feel worried nor burdened about it. Yet it’s also important that she’s aware of what’s going on.

JH: “..I met up with Nayeon-unnie today.”

SN: “Oh~ Why? What happened?”

JH: “..Nothing, really.. We just chatted.”

SN: “Well, take your time, hehe. If you still really like her, you’ll realize it eventually.”

The younger girl decided to keep it for herself. Sana has done a lot for her already. Making her worry is the least she should do for her.

JH: “..I’ll protect you, Sana.”

SN: “..Eh? What are you talking about?”

JH: “Nothing, partner. Hehe. Thanks for talking to me.”

SN: “..You’re being weird today. Well, you’re welcome, partner! Maybe I should charge you~”

JH: “W-what!?”

SN: “Hehe, just one boba tea the next time we meet~ Okay?”

JH: “..Hehe, sure. Good night, Sana.”

SN: “Goodnight!”

~ Call End ~

It was best this way. Jihyo knows she’s in love with her rental girlfriend, but cannot really say if the latter felt the same. Yet she also understood what Nayeon meant. Her falling in love with a client isn’t something she’s likely to do. Rather than rushing things, she would rather wait a little more to understand the Minatozaki Sana that goes beyond being a rental girlfriend.


	10. The Complication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sana's daily life as a rental girlfriend revealed, Chaeyoung's suspicion returns, birthdays to be celebrated, and a secret.

Monday morning. Sana wakes up early at around 7am. She would usually take time laying in her bed first while going through her social media accounts and mail. When she goes through her messages and appointments in Dream Life, she sets up her phone’s alarm and notes for the day. Afterwards, she would do a bit of stretching on her bed.

SN: “Another week, so let’s do our best~”

After a few stretches, she would open the window curtains of her room to invite the bright sun in. Then, she heads straight to her refrigerator and take the instant hot meal she bought from the convenience store last night. She heats it up in her microwave and combs her hair for a bit. It’s not that Sana doesn’t know how to cook. In fact, she could. It’s just that she usually doesn’t have the time to prepare and her laziness would kick in. Especially when she usually goes home after her last booking at 9pm, not including that she still needs to study or do some projects for her university.

After heating her food, she would then take it out from her appliance, and try to review a little more for school while eating.

Sana doesn’t eat much, but just enough for her to fill full. One of the things she tries to do is to make sure she maintains her figure, as being fit can be important in being a rental girlfriend. Once she’s done eating, she heads to her bathroom to take a shower and get ready to leave for school. Luckily, her Monday classes, usually start at around 9am or so, giving her more time to adjust herself to being a student again. This is her daily routine.

If there’s anything that changed though, it would be a new buddy she’d usually send a message or two. Before leaving her apartment, she sends that person one message.

Sana:

“Good morning, partner! Have a great day ahead~”

Most of the time, Jihyo would reply to her immediately

Jihyo:

“Good morning! You too. Tell me if you’ll drop by the restaurant so I can treat you your Boba Tea, hehe.”

It was a good change of pace for her, dealing with some clients who wish to date her for real can be tiring at times. Of course there are definitely people who know about the boundaries, but there are still some who will be looking for more.

Once Sana arrives at her class, she purely focuses on studying, not even trying to bring up her current job. It can’t be helped though, as no matter how many times one can explain, people generally have a negative impression of a rental girlfriend. There are only three people in her life who knew of her secret: Chan, Mina, and Jihyo. She hasn’t told Momo yet, but hoped to do so. However, it was already too late and she had to pretend as Jihyo’s girlfriend for the meantime to save face.

During her lunch break, there are quite a few students who would usually flock around Sana, as she was pretty popular due to her cuteness, and bright personality. However, as much as she tries to be friendly with everyone, she would politely reject their invitation since she usually spends time with just one girl during lunch time.

SN: “Mi-tan~ shall we go buy lunch now?”

The other Japanese girl nodded. Sana would then grab the girl’s hand and they would walk together heading to the nearest food district in Yonsei University. In most cases, they would buy something easy to eat like a sandwich or so, as they would just stay at the school’s garden so that there’s not much people.

Sana would spend time with Mina almost all the time during their breaks. When they first met, Mina was definitely an isolated one, not really talking to other people and others wouldn’t really approach her too. This was also because they felt intimidated of the quiet girl. She was the top student not just at their class, but for their entire batch. However, Sana was different. She saw

Mina as a person. Someone who wishes to interact with people and make friends with others. This is why the older girl approached her and they became friends.

SN: “So, how did your booking yesterday go?”

MN: “…”

Sana immediately noticed the look of disappointment in Mina’s face. Even if she didn’t say it, she knew that it didn’t go well.

SN: “..Don’t worry about it~ hehe. I’m sure you’ll get better too! I didn’t start off that well either you know.”

MN: “..You haven’t received anything other than five stars ever since you began..”

SN: “D-don’t pressure yourself! Hehe. Sometimes there’re really people who’re like that. You got unlucky for that.”

MN: “…”

The two girls continued to eat their lunch peacefully. Eventually, the younger girl responded.

MN: “..Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

SN: “..Eh? Don’t say that Mi-tan! Wasn’t Jihyo happy when spent time with you?”

Mina was just silent. In a moment, she gave a small nod in reply to Sana’s question.

SN: “Then that means it’s okay~ Jihyo is a good judge of character, you know!”

Mina just nodded in response and smiled.

MN: “..I’ll try again this week.”

SN: “Great! Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get used to it~ you’re able to socialize even more now, right?”

MN: “Y-yes..”

SN: “If you need any advice, just message me or Jihyo. I’m sure she’s willing to help you too~”

After a while, they had to return to their class for two more subjects. When they’re done, it was time for Sana to leave the university to meet up with her next client. But before going there, she looks for a place to get changed with her clothes as to not wear the uniform in their university. This is of course to avoid her getting stalked by her clients in the future. She tries to change her style, usually foregoing specs that she usually wears at school and uses contact lens instead. Once she’s done, she meets up with her client.

In most cases, she chooses to book clients that set appointments on a different city just to avoid meeting familiar people by accident. Her exception to this would be cases that she’d go to places that are in closed spaces to avoid suspicion.

MN: “..I’ll try again this week.”

SN: “Great! Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get used to it~ you’re able to socialize even more now, right?”

MN: “Y-yes..”

SN: “If you need any advice, just message me or Jihyo. I’m sure she’s willing to help you too~”

After a while, they had to return to their class for two more subjects. When they’re done, it was time for Sana to leave the university to meet up with her next client. But before going there, she looks for a place to get changed with her clothes as to not wear the uniform in their university. This is of course to avoid her getting stalked by her clients in the future. She tries to change her style, usually foregoing specs that she usually wears at school and uses contact lens instead. Once she’s done, she meets up with her client.

In most cases, she chooses to book clients that set appointments on a different city just to avoid meeting familiar people by accident. Her exception to this would be cases that she’d go to places that are in closed spaces to avoid suspicion.

Once the date wraps up, Sana makes sure to say her goodbyes with a big smile on her face. Most of the time, a client like her first one would ask for her number. However, Sana just brings up Dream Life’s rules and politely say no. Some clients may be persistent but she handles all of them very well. Afterwards, she heads to her other client for the evening.

After finally wrapping up her schedules, Sana would head to the convenience store nearest to her place and grab a microwaveable meal. Back at home, she would then study and finish her assignments before wrapping up and going to bed, with the final message or two chatting with Jihyo along with it.

This is how Sana’s daily routine would go. It gets a bit repetitive, but with meeting new people every other day, plus chatting with Jihyo, it doesn’t get boring to her at all. Also watching the people she meets with improve themselves in a way is always fulfilling for the Japanese girl.

SN: “..Another day, another wrap I guess.”

This would then be the time Sana presses her reset button. The bubbly girl’s smile would then fade, now alone in her own apartment. She’s known by everyone to be very energetic and held a smile that doesn’t go away. However, even one such as Minatozaki Sana would have a time to rest that side of hers. Like what they say, even the happiest person you see would feel sad sometimes.

She stared at her ceiling, kept quiet and thought about several things she has been through.

SN: “..What do I want to reach in the future?”

And thus, she would close her eyes and call it a day, repeating a similar routine for the following day. As she wakes up in the morning, she returns to the same Minatozaki Sana that everyone adores.

That week on Wednesday, she decided to drop by at the restaurant both Momo and Jihyo were working in. She made sure to send them a message ahead of time to avoid any surprise. While on her way to the garden with Mina, she spotted a familiar face heading the same way.

SN: “Ah! Chaeyoungie~!”

The short girl turned to Sana’s direction upon hearing her voice.

CY: “Oh, Sana-unnie! Huh?”

MN: “..Eh?”

Sana noticed that Mina and Chaeyoung seemed to look like they’ve seen each other before as the two looked very surprised seeing each other.

SN: “..Have you met before, Mi-tan?”

MN: “..Y-yes..”

CY: “You’re the girl last weekend..”

SN: “Oh, anyway Mi-tan, this is Chaeyoung!”

CY: “..Nice meeting you.”

Chaeyoung started to feel more suspicion about the two girls she’s with as she remembered the strange thing about Mina, what she did and their relationship to Jihyo.

CY: “..Are you both having lunch?”

SN: “Yeah! Wanna come along? You don’t mind. Right, Minari?”

CY: “Sure.”

MN: “..Okay.”

The three of them went to the school’s garden to eat their lunch. There, Chaeyoung explained to Sana how she found Mina being harassed by a guy while she was on her way to a local art material store.

SN: (..Eh? So did she see Mi-tan on a date with someone else?)

MN: “Umm.. t-thank you again.. for last time..”

CY: “It’s okay, unnie. Some guys are just.. despicable. It’s not easy to judge a person’s character at first glance. Right, Sana-unnie?”

Somehow, the older girl felt that Chaeyoung’s words had more meaning to it. The latter looked at her in a serious manner that she can’t help but feel an indirect attack on her words, especially when considering that it was Chaeyoung that first had doubts about the validity of her relationship with Jihyo.

SN: “R-right! Hehe~”

While they were eating, Sana received a message notification from her phone. She brought it out and opened it to see a message from Jihyo.

Jihyo:

‘Sure! I’m looking forward to seeing you!’

Chaeyoung took a peek on Sana’s phone screen and saw the message as well.

CY: “..Are you gonna see your girlfriend today?”

MN: “..Eh?”

SN: “Ah! Y-yeah! I haven’t seen her for some time. Th-that’s why!”

Sana was caught in a punch and had to say something immediately. Mina doesn’t know about this problem that she and Jihyo are really thought to be dating. She understood from before it was just a fake relationship built upon misunderstandings that probably has been fixed already. However, hearing about it as if it were real confused her.

CY: “..I see. Can I come along? I kind of miss the food there.”

SN: “O-of course~”

MN: “..I’ll go too.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Mina’s words came as a big surprise for Sana. For one, the shy girl usually just heads home immediately after school. It took a lot of time and convincing for her to meet her friend Momo before. This was the first time that her classmate was interested in joining her.

SN: “S-sure! Then Chaeyoungie, we’ll meet you at the gate later. Does your class end at 3pm today? You can go ahead if you’ll wait for a long time.”

CY: “Mine ends at 2:30pm. But it’s okay, I can wait for you girls.”

It wasn’t Chaeyoung’s first time heading there. Just from the idea that the younger girl was willing to wait for them somewhat felt like an increase in her suspicion about them. If she wishes to be more comfortable about it, she needs to ask more to Mina about how she and Chaeyoung met.

After their lunch, they headed back to their classes. On their way back, Sana took this as an opportunity to ask Mina about it.

SN: “Say, Mi-tan.. Did Chaeyoungie see you on a date with your client last Sunday?”

MN: “..I don’t know what she saw.. but she arrived when the date was over.. and the guy was pulling me from my wrist..”

SN: “..I guess she really saved you, huh? I’ll go treat her later as a thank you.”

MN: “N-no, I’ll do it..”

SN: “..Hehe, I’m surprised about what you said earlier. So why did you suddenly want to tag along?”

Mina paused for a bit and then gave her answer.

MN: “..M-maybe I need to work harder.. in making friends first.. So I can do better with strangers.”

SN: “That’s a good start, Mi-tan! I’m sure Momoring and Jihyo probably miss you too~”

After finishing all their classes scheduled, the two of them headed to the university’s gates where Chaeyoung was waiting to join them. Afterwards, they headed straight to the Japanese restaurant the two other girls were working in.

Upon arriving, Jihyo saw the three of them enter the restaurant.

JH: “Ah, hi Sana! Wow, you didn’t tell me that Mina and Chaengie are coming too.”

SN: “Y-yeah! I kind of forgot to say, hehe. It just happened earlier today.”

CY: “There aren’t many customers around, unnie?”

JH: “Well, it’s a dead hour more or less. Anyway, have a seat!”

Jihyo lead them to a vacant table where Sana, Mina and Chaeyoung sat down. After settling down, Sana stood up and talked to Jihyo.

SN: “..Can I talk to you for a bit? Hehe..”

JH: “Huh? S-sure..”

Sana stood up and brought Jihyo along to one corner of the restaurant.

JH: “Umm, is something wrong?”

SN: “..I think Chaeyoungie is being suspicious of us again.”

JH: “Why?”

Sana proceeded to briefly explain to Jihyo what happened earlier as well as Mina’s first encounter with Chaeyoung.

JH: “..Damn. So you think she knows?”

SN: “I don’t know, but let’s be careful and make sure to act more like a couple, okay?”

JH: “..What about Mina?”

SN: “I’ll try to explain it to her later. We’ll be more careful about it, sorry.”

JH: “It’s okay! Really. I also want to make sure you two don’t get found out.”

SN: “Thanks! I’ll talk to Momoring for a bit. Maybe you can get their orders first.”

JH: “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

For Jihyo, this was a definite opportunity for her to show how much she can be trusted. She need not tell about Nayeon finding out about them as it will only add more stress. For now, she needs to be a convincing girlfriend for Sana. She doesn’t have any complaints acting as a couple anyway, since that’s what she wants to happen in the future.

Sana headed straight to the back kitchen door and called for Momo. Her friend went to her in less than a minute.

MM: “Heya, Sa-tan! You missed Jihyo-ssi? Hehe.”

SN: “Err.. yeah, hehe. Anyway, Mi-tan’s also here. You might want to say hi~”

MM: “Oh yay! I missed her!”

SN: “Before that though there’s something I wanted to ask you. Have you already made plans on your birthday? It’s in a few weeks, right?”

MM: “Oh right! Hmm, up to you guys. Hehe.”

SN: “Hmm.. So it’ll be you, me, Mi-tan and Jihyo?”

MM: “You include Chaengie too, hehe. Also Jihyo-ssi’s friends! I wanna get to know them too. It’s sad working on the back kitchen!”

SN: “Eh!? Hmm.. I-I’ll see what I can do!”

MM: “You have to! You promised me last year you’ll organize my birthday party.”

SN: “R-right.. Anyway, let’s not bring that up anymore, okay? I know I did something stupid back then.”

MM: “Okay~”

SN: “I’ll get back to them now. Drop by in a bit!”

MM: “Yup!”

Sana vaguely remembered it. But last year, she did make a promise to Momo to make it up for her as during the older girl’s birthday, Sana didn’t join her to celebrate her birthday as she decided to go somewhere else. This in turn almost ruined her friendship with Momo. This is why she really had to do her best to make it up to her. She made her way back to Mina, Chaeyoung and Jihyo.

SN: (..Last year, huh? Maybe if I didn’t do that, I would’ve still.. Nah.)

As Sana made her way to the table, she sat down and joined the two other girls.

SN: “Have you two made your orders?”

CY: “Yup.”

Mina just nodded.

JH: “How about yours, Sana?”

SN: “You know my favorite, babe~”

Sana winked at Jihyo afterwards. The younger girl was caught off guard and turned red with how Sana spoke to her. That is when she was reminded that she really needed to make the right impression to Chaeyoung.

JH: “O-of course! I’ll get back to you girls in a bit.”

Flustered, Jihyo returned to the kitchen as soon as she can. As with what Sana said, she had an idea what the Japanese girl liked so it won’t be a problem to her.

Back at the table, Sana and Chaeyoung were talking about random things while waiting and Mina was listening to them. During their conversation, Sana was thinking how would she be able to invite the other girls from joining them for Momo’s birthday. Other than this, it’s pretty much a big risk right now that Chaeyoung doesn’t seem to trust them yet. Another factor would be Mina. Just going out with them is a big deal for the shy girl. Even more so on a bigger crowd, not to mention meeting them for the first time.

SN: (..This is going to be tough. Maybe I’ll start with Mi-tan first after we’re done here. Then I’ll ask Jihyo to invite Nayeon-unnie and the rest.)

CY: “..By the way, can I ask you something, Sana-unnie?”

SN: “..Eh? S-sure!”

CY: “You said earlier that you haven’t seen Jihyo-unnie for a while. But you also don’t go back to your home immediately. So what are you doing?

Chaeyoung’s questions began. This confirmed Sana’s belief that the short girl is really trying to know the truth behind the words they’ve said that she’s in a relationship with Jihyo.

SN: “A lot, hehe. I sometimes meet with my childhood friend, study somewhere, and sometimes work too.”

CY: “..What kind of work?”

SN: “..Kind of like a consultation. I listen to people share their stories and such. You know. It’s kind of related to my degree at Yonsei.”

CY: “Oh.. cool.”

MN: “..Childhood friend. You mean Chan?”

SN: “Yup~”

Sana figured that this would be the best way to say it. She’s not wrong though. All the people she met helped her understand more about people, their lives, and how they behave. But saying it blatantly as that she’s a rental girlfriend does not mix well to anyone not knowing deeply about the industry.

CY: “..I also would like to ask you something, Mina-unnie.”

MN: “..Eh?”

Somewhat, Sana felt nervous with whatever Chaeyoung was bound to ask. The two of them needed to both have matching stories to convince the girl in front of them. The older girl just hoped that Mina would be able to handle the situation.

CY: “That man from last Sunday. Do you know him?”

MN: “..No..”

CY: “..Really? That’s strange..”

Jihyo got back to their table and brought with her their food.

JH: “Here you go, everyone. Thanks for waiting! Oh, and this one’s for you babe~”

SN: “..Eh?”

Jihyo also handed over a Boba Tea that she promised she’d get her partner.

SN: “..T-thanks, babe!”

Jihyo then left to cater to other customers. There was a bit of silence as the three of them started to take a few bites of their meal. Eventually, Mina spoke up.

MN: “..Why is it strange?”

As Chaeyoung was about to take a bite, she stopped and looked at Mina seriously.

CY: “..At that time, I heard the guy say about three hours and wanting a refund.”

SN: (Shoot!)

Both Sana and Mina were left frozen, not knowing what to say as they were both already cornered. No matter what, Sana couldn’t think of any other excuse for them as having mentioned about a refund and three hours means that Mina was doing some sort of service for the stranger. The longer the silence went, the more awkward it became for them.

MN: “…”

CY: “..Can you tell me what was that about, Mina-unnie?”

If it were Sana to speak and come up with some sort of alibi, Chaeyoung will definitely suspect them more. Everything depended on Mina’s response to the short girl.

SN: (Mi-tan, I’m sorry.. I think I can still convince her, but I’ll be found out..) “Well you see-”

MN: “..I tried to work as a rental girlfriend.”

SN: “..Eh!?”

CY: “..W-what!?”

Sana was surprised that Mina admitted the truth to Chaeyoung, something she was afraid to do knowing the impression that they will get as well as Jihyo’s. However, it was too late as her friend completed the whole puzzle for Chaeyoung.

MN: “..I’m not good at socializing with strangers.. that’s why I wanted to try it. If I become less shy, maybe people will misunderstand me less.. and I can get more friends..”

SN: “Mi-tan..”

CY: “..But why as a rental girlfriend? That’s dangerous you know! That man last time was enough proof to say so! You could try doing that on a different kind of job.”

SN: “D-don’t get mad at her, Chaeyoungie! It’s not like she was forced to do so.”

CY: “..And what about you, Sana-unnie? Aren’t you the same?”

SN: “..I-I’m-“

MN: “Sa-chan is different.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Chaeyoung returned her attention to Mina as she was about to say something. Meanwhile, Sana was surprised with what her friend was trying to say.

MN: “..I wanted to try this because.. it’s the easiest way to meet various kinds of people. When I told Sa-chan about this, she tried to talk me out of it too. But I believe that there are also good people out there.. people looking for someone to talk to.. even just for a while..”

CY: “..But.. What about the time you went on a date with Jihyo-unnie?”

MN: “..Sa-chan asked me to meet her girlfriend and go on a practice date with her. Instead of meeting someone I don’t know, she’d said that I should try to meet someone she trusts first.”

SN: (..Eh?)

CY: “..Is this true, Sana-unnie?”

The older girl was surprised with what her friend said as Mina was covering up for her still. As much she wanted to say that she’s also a rental girlfriend, she’s unable to do so because that would then affect Jihyo as well. She clenched her fists out of frustration of not being able to take the hit as Mina was left alone to fend for herself.

SN: “Y-yeah.. Sorry.. for not telling it straight.”

CY: “..Okay. But I still think it’s a dangerous job, Mina-unnie.”

MN: “..I’m okay. The agency I’m registered with has a good reputation. If something happens, I can just call Sa-chan.”

In a bit, Chaeyoung brought out her phone and showed her phone number.

MN: “..Eh?”

CY: “..A-add me up to! Sana-unnie might not be able to pick up all the time.. And I’ll keep this as a secret from the other girls. I do think it’s not easy to admit something like that.. I’m sorry for pushing you.”

MN: “N-no, it’s okay..”

After realizing what just happened, Sana was finally able to smile. But it came with the price of Mina admitting her entry in the rental industry. Still, she can’t believe how courageous her friend was to say such a thing. If only Jihyo wasn’t involved, Sana felt that she’d be able to do the same. With things somehow settling down now, they resumed eating and talked about different things. As they went on, Sana kept on looking at Jihyo time to time who was busy working, wondering the what ifs should it be found out that she was just a rental girlfriend all this time.

After they finished eating, Sana called for the bill and Jihyo came to them.

SN: “Here’s payment, babe. I enjoyed your treat too~”

JH: “No worries, hehe. You all leaving now?”

CY: “Yup. It’s great, unnie. Thanks.”

MN: “..It was delicious.”

SN: “Umm, Mi-tan, Chaengie, can you both wait outside? I’ll just talk with Jihyo for a bit, hehe.”

CY: “Oh, sure.”

Mina and Chaeyoung both went outside and waited for Sana who was then about to talk to her ‘girlfriend’.

JH: “Umm, what is it, Sana?”

SN: “Let me explain..”

Sana then summarized everything that they talked about, with Mina being found out and Chaeyoung somewhat losing some suspicion between them.

JH: “..I guess we owe Mina a lot.”

SN: “Yeah. Also, did Momo say it to you yet?”

JH: “About her birthday? Yeah.”

SN: “So you’ll come, right? She’s also asking me to invite Nayeon-unnie and the rest. Can you ask her instead? Since you’re close to each other and all..”

JH: “..Umm, about that..”

SN: “..Eh?”

Jihyo then started to explain that Jeongyeon’s birthday is about to come as well. Nayeon was already organizing it and invited Jihyo as well, which the younger girl automatically accepted as she didn’t know until today that Momo’s birthday was coming as well. Unfortunately, both birthdays will be celebrated on the same date, so they have to choose.

JH: “..And Nayeon-unnie wants you to come as well.”

SN: “..What should we do?”

After a bit of thinking, Jihyo came up with an idea.

JH: “..Maybe we could just celebrate their birthdays together.”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “I mean.. That way, it won’t cause any rift between us right?”

SN: “..I guess so. Can you tell Momo about it then?”

JH: “Alright. I’ll tell her and message you later.”

SN: “Thanks! And also..”

JH: “..Yeah?”

SN: “..You haven’t booked me this weekend yet, hehe. Are you busy or something?”

JH: “Ah.. S-sorry it kinda slipped my mind, hehe..”

Little did Sana know that it was something that Jihyo has been contemplating on since the start of the week. Nayeon’s words still rang in her mind. Knowing that this is all a façade that might not go anywhere, she thought that maybe, it should stop one way or another.

SN: “You promised to book me every weekend, right? Hehe~”

JH: “..Yeah. Of course, I’ll do that after my shift, hehe.”

SN: “Okay~”

JH: “So, leaving now?”

SN: “Umm, one last thing. Is Chaeyoung looking at us?”

As Jihyo was the one facing the glass window, she looked outside and saw Mina and Chaeyoung waiting outside staring at them.

JH: “Yeah. Why?”

Sana paused for a bit and slightly got embarrassed.

SN: “..I-I’m only this so she can believe that we’re really dating! Okay?”

JH: “Huh? W-wha-!?”

Sana then gave Jihyo a big hug and planted a kiss on her cheek as she said goodbye to her, leaving the younger girl paralyzed not knowing how to react. Meanwhile, both Mina and Chaeyoung saw this and got flustered with Sana’s actions.

The Japanese girl bid her ‘lover’ farewell and exited the restaurant to join the two girls waiting for her. Despite being unable to react to Sana’s actions, there was no doubt in her mind that she liked it.

SN: “Sorry to keep you waiting! Shall we leave now?”

CY: “Y-yeah.. it’s okay.”

Mina nodded in response to her friend’s question. As they walked, they reached the bus terminal.

CY: “..Umm, I’ll be off now. I have to go home today. Thanks for hanging out.”

MN: “..Thank you.”

SN: “Take care now!”

As Sana and Mina were finally alone, the former used this as an opportunity to talk to her.

SN: “..Thanks for earlier, Mi-tan. And I’m really sorry I couldn’t help you out earlier..”

MN: “..It’s okay.”

SN: “..But why did you say that to Chaeyoungie?”

MN: “..I had nothing to lose to begin with.. Also, I think it would be nice if people accepted me for what I do..”

As Mina paused, her words stung like a bee to Sana as she knew it was something she can’t do. She wanted to stand up for Mina’s sake too but Jihyo would suffer even more.

SN: “..That was very brave of you, Mi-tan. I can’t imagine myself doing the same, hehe. And you covered up for me too.”

MN: “..Jihyo-unnie would be affected. Besides, I know you’re uncomfortable about.. that.”

SN: “…”

Sana knew what her friend meant. No words were needed to get the point across, but there’s definitely something in Sana’s past that Mina knew would not be easy for her to let out.

SN: “..Let’s not talk about those things. But I’m really sorry, Mi-tan.”

MN: “..It’s okay. Chaeyoungie said she’ll keep it a secret. I think.. I can trust her.”

SN: “By the way, there’s something I’d like to tell you.”

MN: “..Eh?”

Sana then informed Mina about the plans for Momo’s birthday, as well as Jihyo’s idea to celebrate it with Jeongyeon’s birthday at the same time.

SN: “..So yeah. You’ll also get to meet Jihyo’s friends. It’ll be fun and you can also make new friends!”

MN: “..I might.. get awkward.”

SN: “It’s not like you’ll be there alone, okay? I’ll be with you as well as Jihyo and Momoring!”

MN: “..I’ll try.”

SN: “Great!”

As they continued to walk, they were about to go their separate ways with Mina going back to her dorm.

SN: “So, I’ll see you tomorrow, Mi-tan!”

MN: “W-wait, Sa-chan..”

SN: “..Eh?”

Mina was just silent standing there as Sana waited for what her friend had to say. Finally she spoke.

MN: “..Earlier, I saw you.. kiss Jihyo-unnie.”

SN: “..Ah! Y-yeah.. Why?”

Sana started to blush just thinking that her friend saw her do something really embarrassing.

MN: “..I’m just confused. Are you two.. really dating or..?”

SN: “Ah! T-that wasn’t real! It’s just an act to convince Chaeyoungie that we’re a couple! Y-you know.. Since she’s been very suspicious of us.. I told Jihyo I’d do that!”

MN: “..So, you’re not really dating? Just pretending?”

Sana shook her head as a way of saying no to Mina’s question.

MN: “..I see. Okay..”

SN: (..Eh?)

Sana only saw it for a brief moment, but she was sure that she saw a smile on Mina’s face.

MN: “..Thanks for today, Sa-chan. See you tomorrow.”

SN: “Y-yeah! See you~”

Mina turned around to return to Yonsei dormitories. Meanwhile, Sana was left standing there. She paused thinking what may have just happened, what’s going on right now, and what might happen in the future. She’s used to being with Mina, and she’s a girl with only a few words. Thus, her actions scream more of what she wants to say and how she really feels. Sana haven’t thought of it being possible, but it was a reality than can happen as well.

SN: “Minari.. likes Jihyo?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be taking two weeks off from updating due to TWICE's comeback season. Let's all support our girls! I promise to be back afterwards.


	11. The Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sana finds out more hidden truths. Jihyo gets frustrated. Arguments leading to realizations. A big celebration and more.

That week, Jihyo was able to confirm that they will hold the celebration of Jeongyeon and Momo’s birthday together. They also agreed to meet up on the weekend so that they can get to know each other too. Sana as well was able to confirm with Chaeyoung and was willing to go.

Speaking of Sana, the rest of the week has been so-so for her. At times she would space out, then she would look at her friend who was likely interested in Jihyo. Her performance as a rental girlfriend was affected as well, with her receiving her first ever four star review. She doesn’t understand why though, that she is bothered by the fact that her friend was interested with Jihyo.

MN: “..What’s wrong, Sa-chan?”

Mina asked her friend as they were having lunch together that Friday afternoon. Sana then would wake up from her deep thoughts and apologize to the younger girl.

SN: “S-sorry, hehe. I was just thinking.”

MN: “..You can tell me if you have something to share.”

SN: “..It’s nothing serious! Don’t worry~”

MN: “..Okay.”

After a few minutes, Mina asked a question to Sana.

MN: “..Sa-chan, are you going on a date with Jihyo-unnie again tomorrow?”

SN: “..Eh? Y-yeah, hehe. It’s a weekly thing between us. How about you? Did you open your schedule again?”

MN: “..I did. I have one booked tomorrow.”

SN: “Great! Just be who you are, okay?”

Mina nodded in response to Sana supporting her. However, Sana’s mind was elsewhere. She’s becoming more and more conscious whenever her friend mentions Jihyo. She wasn’t sure if she should, but Sana had thoughts of asking Mina directly of she likes Jihyo on a more personal level. However, it might get awkward too for Mina and might have difficulty in feeling comfortable afterwards.

MN: “..I’ll need to do my best. So I can be less awkward during Momoring’s birthday party.”

SN: “They’re good people, Mi-tan. So don’t you worry!”

In a way, Sana somewhat avoided getting in contact with Jihyo. It’s not that she doesn’t want to, considering how she’s comfortable with the younger girl, but more on the thought of not knowing the truth behind Mina’s smile. Sana knew that Jihyo was someone looking for somebody to love her, and maybe, just maybe, Mina might be the one.

That weekend, Sana went on a date with Jihyo as they have scheduled. This time around, they went to do some shopping at the nearby department store and buy some gifts as well.

JH: “Do you think Momo will like this top? She seem to like body fit clothing a lot.”

SN: “…”

JH: “..Sana?”

SN: “..Eh? OH! S-sorry, hehe. I was.. thinking of gift for Jeongyeonie too.”

JH: “Oh, don’t worry, hehe. I’ll help you out on that one. Anyway, about this top..”

SN: “It looks good! But I think she’d like a different color. How about we go over there?”

Sana pointed out at another section with similar looking clothes. Jihyo nodded and they both headed to the direction. The younger girl still does not have any idea what’s on Sana’s mind, but she definitely noticed her spacing out every now and then. While having their lunch, Sana was thinking of bringing up the possibility to Jihyo. But suddenly, Jihyo spoke.

JH: “..You’re a little quiet today, Sana. Is everything okay?”

SN: “Y-yeah! Sorry.. I was just thinking about stuff.”

JH: “..Wanna talk about it?”

As much as she wanted to, it might be an awkward thing to suddenly bring up. It was best that Sana just brings out the topic naturally.

SN: “..I think I’m okay for now, hehe.”

JH: “Okay. Anyway about Jeongyeon, she has a few pets at home. I think it’d be great if we get her..”

Jihyo went on talking as Sana tried to forget about all the things bothering her. Right now, it’s best if she focuses on what’s in the present and look forward to a positive future. She started to become the bright and talkative ‘girlfriend’ that Jihyo fell in love with

Eventually, it was already time to go home as it was already evening.

SN: “It was fun today, Jihyo! We got some pretty nice gifts too. I’ll make sure to giftwrap them prettily~”

JH: “Yeah! Couldn’t have done it without you, hehe. So.. next week?”

Before Sana could even reply, her mind suddenly had a flashback on Mina’s elusive smile after knowing that she wasn’t really dating Jihyo. It felt that it was a moment she could try to confirm about how Jihyo would feel should somebody actually be in love with her.

SN: “..Y-yeah! Of course! Umm, by the way-“

JH: “..Sorry.”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “..Am I a bother to you, Sana?”

SN: “N-no! Of course not! Why would you say that?”

JH: “I was thinking that maybe.. I’m getting annoying to you.. Booking you all the time.”

SN: “..Don’t say that! I’m really happy you know. There’s always someone I look forward to going out with every weekend. And I’m glad that it is you.”

Sana paused and moved closer to Jihyo, getting her attention and looked directly in her eyes.

SN: “I’ll support you as your girlfriend until you find yourself one, okay?”

Jihyo shyly turned her head away and stuttered in replying. She already wanted to say it again like from that time in Everland, that she wants that girl to be Sana. However, she was afraid of the consequences, especially with Jeongyeon and Momo’s coming birthday.

JH: “..What if I don’t ever find one?”

SN: “..I’m sure you will, okay? You just need to look at the right place, right time, and right moment.”

Jihyo’s frown would they slowly turn into a faint smile. To her, this might have been hints that Sana was waiting for the right time again. However, she still doesn’t want to keep her hopes up.

JH: “..Thanks for cheering me up, Sana.”

SN: “Yeah, hehe. Take care on your way home, okay? See you!”

As Sana and Jihyo parted ways, the former couldn’t understand why she’s hesitating. She could easily bridge Mina to her and they’d end up happily together. Still, a part of her doesn’t seem willing to do so. Sana asked herself.

SN: “..Where would that leave me?.. I.. don’t want to be alone again..”

Days passed as Sana kept everything to herself. Jihyo too was worried of the inevitable future. One way or another, she knew she had to admit to Sana all the feelings she has been keeping all this time. Eventually, it was the weekend that they all have been waiting for, to celebrate Jeongyeon and Momo’s birthday.

Jeongyeon’s birthday was to be held at a vacation house in Gangwon-do organized by her family and Nayeon. As it was agreed upon to also celebrate Momo’s birthday at the same time, the party was to get even bigger. Nayeon made some arrangements with Sana a week before with food, decoration, activities and more to make sure they give the celebrants a treat. Those who were invited to the party are Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Chaeyoung, and Yeri. They will be staying there for two days.

The girls were split into two groups heading to their destination, with Sana, Jihyo, Momo and Mina together. The four of them agreed to meet up in front of Yonsei university at 8am and they would all then commute together to Gangwon. Sana and Mina were the first ones waiting for them as they arrived ahead of time.

SN: “..Are you excited, Mi-tan? Hehe.”

MN: “..Nervous..”

SN: “Don’t worry, okay? They’re all nice people! This is your chance to meet new friends too.”

In a few minutes, Jihyo arrived as well just a minute left before their call time.

JH: “Whew, sorry I thought I’d be late. I forgot to set an alarm.”

SN: “..T-that’s okay, Jihyo~ I’m glad that you’re here! You didn’t forget your presents, right?”

JH: “Yeah, it’s here with me.”

Jihyo lifted the bag on her left hand telling her that the gifts are inside. Suddenly, Mina moved forward and bowed her head down to Jihyo.

MN: “Umm.. thank you.. for yesterday.”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “Oh no problem, Minari! I’m glad I could help you out.”

Sana was surprised. She didn’t know what happened the previous day, as not either Jihyo or Mina told her that they met up nor will be meeting each other yesterday. This made her feel strange.

SN: “Y-you both.. met up yesterday?”

JH: “Oh, yeah. I was going to tell you that Minari dropped by where I’m working yesterday to chat, hehe.”

MN: “..Sorry.”

SN: “O-of course that’s fine! No need to apologize. I’m just.. surprised, hehe.”

This was a first time for Sana. Her seeing Mina do something on her own initiative without telling her was really unusual. And as much as she wanted to know what they talked about, it might be too much of her to stick her nose in such private matters. Regardless of the discussion, there was one thing Sana was certain. She felt uneasy.

JH: “A-anyway, while Momo isn’t here, I thought it’s okay to bring up.. that.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Sana had no clue what was going on. The more it went on, the more things somewhat felt uneasy for her. Not knowing what was going on was something that haunted the girl even from the past. The more she knew less, the more she felt uncomfortable. Jihyo then continued.

JH: “I actually brought up to Minari yesterday that.. we weren’t really dating.”

SN: “..Oh.”

JH: “..I thought it was okay for her to know so you can be comfortable if it’s just us. But I didn’t know that she knew the truth, hehe.”

SN: “Y-yeah, hehe. I did tell it to her a few days ago.”

And Sana remembered Mina’s little smile when she learned of the truth. She can’t help but notice that it might be Jihyo who is giving her friend more courage than she ever could. Turning to her side, Sana was able to see her friend looking happy already.

For Jihyo, she wanted to say the truth to Mina as being able to know that will help Sana relax more when they’re together. It might be some of the few steps she wanted to take in order to make sure that she can move forward and not get stuck with just being a client for Sana. It might be far from that point, but the young girl knew that she had to confess to Sana in the end. Breaking those barriers in the first step.

In a few minutes, Momo finally arrived.

MM: “Heyaaa. Sorry for being late, hehe. I couldn’t sleep last night due to my excitement!”

SN: “I knew you’d be late anyway, hehe. Come on now~”

MM: “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean!?”

Mina giggled while Jihyo smiled. The four of them all felt happy as they headed to their destination in Gangwon-do. They took the bus which would more or less take an hour for them to reach the place. Nayeon did give the coordinates to Sana in order for them to not get lost.

Speaking of Sana and Nayeon, this was something that made Jihyo worry a lot. With the eldest girl knowing about Sana’s secret, she was worried that her first love might try to pull some strings or even make her ‘girlfriend’ uncomfortable.

As they went on their journey, it didn’t look like Sana had problems with talking to her unnie. Perhaps her words reached her, but she still needs to keep her guard up once they all meet in Gangwon. But before all those things happen, Jihyo enjoyed the entire hour just chatting with Sana and the others.

By the end of the hour, they finally reached the terminal they will need to drop off. Jihyo made sure to not leave any valuables they brought while Sana checked the map on how they can get to the cabin.

After a few minutes of walking and following Sana, they arrived at the location.

SN: “We’re here~”

MN: “Wow.. it’s big.”

JH: “Jeongyeon told me before their family owns this place that their extended family uses for big gatherings. This must be it.”

MM: “They’re not here yet? How do we get in?”

SN: “Don’t worry! Nayeonie gave me a copy of the master key, hehe.”

Jihyo was surprised with how Nayeon put a lot of trust on Sana, probably too much. She doesn’t know if the oldest girl was scheming something. Hopefully she doesn’t.

JH: “..I’ll message them and say that we’re here already.”

Sana unlocked the front door and they all entered. It was a bit dusty as expected, but definitely something manageable to clean up as they have to since they will be staying there for the next two days. After unpacking a few of their belongings, they started to tidy up the place, making sure to remove and cobwebs they see and sweep the dust out.

JH: “Nayeonie replied. She said they’ll be here in about half an hour or so.”

SN: “Okay~”

While Momo and Mina continued to clean the living room, Nayeon and the rest of the girls arrived.

NY: “We’re here! Sorry we’re late. Jeongyeon took a long time.”

JY: “Cut me some slack, Nayeon. It’s my birthday, right?”

CY: “Yeah, it’s fine. Anyway, let’s help out.”

YR: “Have to use the bathroom first. Where is it?”

MN: “Umm..”

Mina pointed to the right direction for the toilet.

YR: “You must be Mina, right? Thanks! Wait a minute..”

Yeri hurried to the restroom. This was also then the time Momo and Mina met Nayeon and Jeongyeon. As Nayeon stared at Mina, she remembered the time she overheard their conversation in front of Yonsei University. She was pretty sure that she was also a rental girlfriend like Sana, just based on their conversation back then. The older girl smiled and introduced herself.

NY: “You must be Mina and Momo. It’s nice to finally meet you. The name’s Im Nayeon.”

She extended her hand and offered it as a sign of a handshake. Mina extended hers as she also replied.

MN: “..Nice to meet you, Nayeon-unnie. I’m Myoui Mina.”

Nayeon then shifted to Momo who was more willing to shake hands.

MM: “Heya! You can call me Momoring, hehe. So, the other girl is Jeongyeon?”

JY: “Yeah. You can call me Jeongyeon. I heard you already met Chaeyoung?”

MM: “Yup! Our birthdays are close. So let’s get along!”

Jeongyeon also extended her hand for a shake to the two.

NY: “Alright, let’s clean this place up! By the way, where’s Sana and Jihyo?”

MM: “At the backyard I think.”

Nayeon headed to the back side to meet up with the two. There she saw them sweeping off some of the leaves that found home on the wooden floor.

NY: “Hey, you two. We’re here!”

JH: “Ah.. Glad you’re here Nayeon-unnie!”

SN: “Yay! So everyone’s here already?”

Sana and Nayeon continued to talk probably about some of the things they prepared for the party while Jihyo couldn’t really hear their on-going conversation. This made her a bit anxious just seeing them getting along. The older girl was getting along with her well and she hopes that it won’t be taken advantage of. After cleaning the backyard, they all went inside the cabin.

NY: “Alright. So I guess it’s room assignments as well. There are four rooms so we can go two people for each.”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: (..Huh? T-that means..)

NY: “So it’ll be me and Jeong, Jihyo and Sana, Momo and Mina, then Chaeyoung and Yeri.”

JY: “Sounds good.”

JH: “W-what!?”

NY: “Hmm? What is it, Jihyo?”

JH: “N-nothing!”

MM: “Hooo~ try not to be so loud tonight, hehe.”

SN: “MOMO!”

MM: “Kidding, haha.”

MN: “…”

CY: “..What are they talking about?”

YR: “Err.. Ignore them.”

NY: “Okay, so I’ll go to the market first to buy some meat for the barbecue. Can anyone come with me?”

Jihyo saw this as an excellent opportunity to have a private talk with Nayeon again. So she decided to volunteer.

JH: “Me, I’ll come with you.”

SN: “Ah, I’ll go too!”

NY: “..Just one is fine, hehe. Besides, you need to set things up too.”

JH: “Yeah. we’ll be fine, Sana.

SN: “..O-okay.”

Jihyo and Nayeon went out to get some groceries. As Sana was left behind, she can’t help but feel a bit strange that Jihyo denied her coming along. Usually, the younger girl would want her company as it makes her feel safe. She doesn’t know if there’s anything going on between Nayeon and Jihyo, but she didn’t like the feeling.

YR: “Hey, Sana. Where do I put this?”

SN: “Eh? Ah, right here!”

Meanwhile, Nayeon and Jihyo were both walking and headed to the market. On their way there, Jihyo took the chance to ask her.

JH: “..What are you doing, Nayeon-unnie?”

NY: “..Hmm? I don’t understand. Buying groceries, I guess?”

JH: “I mean with Sana.. You seem to get along with her pretty well.”

NY: “..I don’t see a problem if we become good friends?”

JH: “..Y-you’re right.”

Jihyo wasn’t satisfied. She definitely felt that Nayeon wouldn’t just suddenly become friendly to her. Knowing how competitive the girl can be, she may have thought of challenging Sana directly. Based on how Sana has been behaving around her though, it doesn’t seem like the Japanese girl knows of Nayeon knowing about her secret. At the very least, Jihyo was happy to see Nayeon keeping her word with that.

NY: “..Anyway, I’m glad you chose to come with me.”

JH: “..Huh? Why?”

NY: “I thought things are awkward between you and me after our talk with each other.”

JH: “N-no, of course not..”

NY: “..Or did you have a change of heart? Hehe.”

JH: “T-that’s not it!”

NY: “I’m just kidding around, Jihyo. No need to be so serious. Anyway, let’s hurry a bit.”

Back at the cabin, Jeongyeon and Momo were told to take it easy and relax at the hammock outside since they are the celebrants. The other four girls then decorated the living room for the party they are all about to hold. Even though they were busy, Sana’s mind was somewhere else. She finds herself thinking about Jihyo more and more, just because somehow, the younger girl seem to behave a bit differently than before. After quite some time, they finished their initial preparations.

CY: “Okay. I think we are done for now. I’ll just bring up our stuff to our room, Yeri.”

YR: “Oh, sure!”

Sana remembered upon seeing Chaeyoung walk up the stairs that she was going to share the same room with Jihyo. Just the mere thought of it made her turn a bit red. She went up as well to check on the room they were sharing.

SN: “..Eh? It’s a queen sized bed..”

She then tried to peek at the other three rooms and noticed they were all single beds. It felt as if it was intentional for them to stay in that room, given that ‘everyone’ knows that they are dating. She went to Mina’s room where the latter was unpacking her luggage.

SN: “H-hey, Mi-tan! Would you.. like to switch rooms?”

MN: “..Eh?”

SN: “I-I mean.. only if you’d like to! Hehe~”

MN: “..Wouldn’t it be weird if you don’t sleep beside her? They know you’re both dating.”

SN: “Ah, r-right! Haha! Silly me it slipped my mind!”

Sana went out of Mina and Momo’s room as she went back to hers. Definitely she has no choice but to do this, as she is pretending to be Jihyo’s girlfriend to the rest of the girls. This never happened to her before with her previous clients. Hopefully, it doesn’t get too awkward for Jihyo as well. Exhausted due to overthinking, Sana laid herself in bed to rest while they wait for Nayeon and Jihyo to return.

Eventually, the two got back.

NY: “I’ll put this on the fridge first. You can set up the barbecue.”

JH: “Okay.”

While Sana was resting in her room, she started to pick up the scent the burning charcoal. She sat up from her bed and took a peek at the window, noticing that Jihyo was already preparing their barbecue for lunch.

SN: “..It’s probably fine for her, right? I mean, we have to pretend that we’re dating..”

She then noticed Jeongyeon walking towards her ‘girlfriend’.

JY: “Hey, Jihyo. Want me to help out?”

JH: “Nah, I’m good. Just enjoy yourself. Besides, Minari is already helping me out.”

JY: “Alright. Then I’ll go fishing on the nearby lake with Chaeyoung.”

Yet again, Sana sees her friend taking the initiative with Jihyo. An unusual sight. There, she saw Mina bring a bowl of freshly washed vegetables that they will be grilling as well.

MN: “..Is this okay, unnie?”

JH: “Yeah. Thanks a lot!”

For the next few seconds, Mina was just standing there watching Jihyo manage the fire as if she was waiting for the older girl to ask for some extra help. Jihyo noticed this and talked to her.

JH: “ Umm.. it’s okay, Minari. I’ll be able to manage this. Go ahead and play with the rest.”

MN: “..I’m.. still a bit shy to them..”

JH: “Well, it has to start at some point, hehe.”

After a bit more hesitation, Mina nodded and tried to follow Jeongyeon. Sana saw all of this happening. Definitely, Mina’s growth as a person was being influenced a lot by Jihyo.

SN: “..She really likes her, huh.”

Sana decided to head down as well to Jihyo. If there’s anything she should try doing, it’s to still behave as the ‘girlfriend’ that she is for her.

SN: “Hi, babe~ didn’t know you were back already~”

JH: “Ah! S-Sana, don’t surprise me like that!”

Jihyo blushed as Sana was so close to her face. She tried to look away and focus on the grill. She took the first few pieces of pork belly on top and seasoned with some salt and pepper. Sana then tried to wipe the younger girl’s sweat from her forehead.

JH: “T-that’s embarrassing..”

SN: “Hehe, I want to help you out too~”

Maybe it was just pretending for Sana, but Jihyo really liked it. She just knows that sue really likes Sana and would give everything just for them to be official.

MM: “Hooo~”

Sana heard Momo’s voice who was peeking at them from behind the back door.

SN: “..Err, what are you doing?”

MM: “Pretend I’m not here, hehe.”

SN: “If you don’t have anything to do, why don’t you help out Nayeon-unnie?”

MM: “I wanted to, but Yeri’s already helping her. And I’m bored~”

JH: “Chaeyoungie and the others went to the lake over there.”

Jihyo pointed at the direction and Momo headed over to the rest of the girls. But Jihyo had to admit to herself. Momo teasing her and Sana as if they were a real thing is something that always made her feel happy.

Sana on the other hand, had some other things in mind. Since they were alone, she thought of this as an opportunity to talk with Jihyo.

SN: “..So, everything okay with you and Nayeon-unnie?”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “I mean earlier, you went to the market right?”

JH: “Ah, y-yeah!.. It’s fine.”

NY: “..Did you talk about anything?”

JH: “..Nothing much, really.”

Sana felt that Jihyo was definitely hiding something. It was the same as from before when she met up with Nayeon at the café. Given the point that her client would usually tell her what’s going on between them, it was definitely a surprising thing. Sana began to tell herself that Jihyo might be keeping a secret from her.

JH: “..How about you, Sana?”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “You’ve been.. pretty close to Nayeon-unnie these days.”

SN: “Well, isn’t it natural since we both organized this party?”

JH: “..You really don’t talk about anything else?”

SN: “Nope.”

Jihyo too wasn’t convinced. Maybe it’s true that its just about the party, but given Nayeon knows Sana’s secret, anything can happen. It looks like she doesn’t know a thing yet, which is fine. The younger girl just knows she has to really do something to make sure Nayeon keeps it to herself.

Jihyo’s interrogation felt a bit off for Sana. Especially when considering that for her, Jihyo’s the one hiding something. She couldn’t

SN: “..Aren’t you the one who’s keeping something from me?”

JH: “W-what!? I’m not!”

SN: “..You’re avoiding my questions when I ask about you and Nayeon-unnie.”

JH: “I-it’s nothing special. Really!”

For the first time, Sana and Jihyo were arguing about something so trivial. They both wanted to know what’s going on. Jihyo couldn’t say it to make Sana worry less, while the latter wasn’t really hiding anything as Jihyo’s being insistent about it.

SN: “..I’ll go to Mi-tan and the others for a bit..”

JH: “…”

Sana left Jihyo and headed to the rest of the girls. The younger girl continued to cook their lunch while feeling guilty of not being able to tell the truth to Sana. Still, it was for the better. Maybe later she can make it up to her so they settle this small argument.

Meanwhile, Sana reached the other girls and saw some of them fishing. She saw Mina interacting with Jeongyeon who was teaching her how to reel in a catch. That was then when she thought, why is she too worked up with what’s going on with Jihyo? It’s not like they’re really dating, even more so that her friend probably likes her client. Maybe if Jihyo knew, she could be in a normal relationship. Sana walked beside Mina and joined them.

SN: “Hey there~ What are you all up to?”

Mina was surprised to see Sana there with them, especially considering that she had to pass by Jihyo to get to their location. She thought of asking Sana if there’s anything wrong, but hesitated as they might get heard by the rest.

After some time, Jihyo, Nayeon and Yeri all finished cooking and they called for the rest of the girls for lunch. Despite what happened, Sana sat between Jihyo and Nayeon while Jihyo was also beside Mina. However, during their meal, Sana didn’t talk to her ‘girlfriend’ that much. The younger girl felt it and also didn’t attempt to start a conversation with her. Luckily nobody noticed it, except for Mina. After some fun stories together, some of the girls went back to the lake while some cleaned up.

SN: “I’ll wash the dishes.”

Sana took all the used plates on the tray and brought them to the kitchen. She doesn’t really know how to make up with Jihyo after that little argument they had. She knows that she had to do something, as she doesn’t want to cause any commotion on Jeongyeon and Momo’s birthday celebration. While washing some dishes, one girl approached her.

NY: “Let me help you out, Sana.”

SN: “..Eh? I’m okay, Nayeon-unnie. Hehe. You already cooked so get some rest.”

NY: “Nah, I’ll feel better when you take it easy too.”

SN: “..Thanks, hehe.”

They didn’t talk for a few minutes and just focused on washing all the dishes. Eventually, Nayeon spoke.

NY: “..So how’s it going between you and Jihyo?”

SN: “..Eh?”

NY: “..Are you good? Is she eating well?”

SN: “Y-yeah! She is..”

This was the first time that Nayeon tried to bring up something else besides their preparations for the party. Hearing her ask a question about how Jihyo was doing made her feel that the older girl was showing concern to her ‘girlfriend’.

SN: “..Why do you ask?”

NY: “Nothing really, hehe. I’m glad to hear she’s doing fine.”

SN: “..You’re worried about Jihyo?”

NY: “Yeah, I am. She hasn’t spent that much time anymore with us. I’m sure you know that we have known each other for several years already. Well, she knew Jeongyeon longer but it’s kinda like that.”

SN: “Y-yeah, hehe. But aren’t you both hanging out again? She met up with you a few weeks ago and you bought today’s groceries together.”

NY: “..I guess you could say that, haha.”

Curiosity got the better of Sana and decided to ask Nayeon instead.

SN: “..What did you two talk about?”

NY: “..Huh? Jihyo didn’t tell you?”

SN: “N-no.. sue just said you just chatted about some things.”

NY: “..Well, it’s really just that. But it’s nice that it really brings back memories months ago.”

SN: “..I don’t think it’s a bad idea though.”

NY: “..Really? But you’re both.. dating each other. And you do know that Jihyo.. liked me before.”

In a way, Sana kind of felt bad that Jihyo really did distance herself from her friends ever since the rejection from Nayeon. Even now, Nayeon misses her with the change that happened in their daily life. Even worse, Sana felt bad because she’s not really dating Jihyo and are just pretending to be.

SN: “..It’s fine with me, hehe. I think Jihyo misses your company too.”

NY: “..Thanks for saying that hehe.”

Meanwhile, Jihyo was hanging out with the rest of the girls. But she wasn’t really doing anything and just watching the rest play. Suddenly, Jeongyeon sat beside her.

JY: “You look like you’re waiting for someone to talk to you.”

JH: “..Huh? N-no, I’m fine.”

JY: “Don’t act stupid. I know very well how you behave when you’re looking for someone to talk to.”

Jeongyeon just sat there, waiting for Jihyo to respond. She knew that her childhood friend needed time before speaking so she let her be. Finally, she did.

JH: “..You knew about Nayeon-unnie liking me, am I right?”

JY: “..Yup.”

JH: “Why didn’t you tell me?”

JY: “..Are you dumb or something? Of course I wouldn’t tell either of you. That would make it so that you’re both playing it safe and not take any risk. Do you think a relationship like that is worth it?”

JH: “..N-no..”

JY: “..Anyway, it’s not a loss, right? You have Sana now and you’re happy with her. Nayeon just really has to move on, though that idiot won’t listen to me so she told me she confessed to you.”

JH: “…”

JY: “..I didn’t tell anyone though, don’t worry. Not even Sana.”

If only Jeongyeon knew the truth, Jihyo wouldn’t have a hard time replying to her friend. It was definitely a wasted chance for her to become a couple with Nayeon. But even now, her heart was in conflict because she really likes Sana now, even though they’re just pretending.

JY: “Get a grip, okay? It’s not like it was your loss. You’re really lucky to have two nice girls fall in love with you.”

Jeongyeon stood up and joined the other girls playing badminton. Jihyo just looked at them thinking about what Jeongyeon said. While she was observing them, she made eye contact with Mina who gave her a cute smile. She smiled back in return.

Meanwhile, Sana and Nayeon continued to wash the dishes until everything was all cleaned up. Nayeon went to the fridge and picked up two cans of beer, with one she offered to Sana.

NY: “..Wanna drink? Hehe.”

SN: “Umm, it’s still 3pm isn’t it a little early?”

NY: “We deserve it after working hard today. Don’t worry, we bought plenty for tonight.”

Sana smiled and gladly took the can of beer. They both sat down at the living room, opened it, toasted, and drank up.

NY: “Ah~ that just hits the spot!”

SN: “Yeah, hehe. Thanks, Nayeonie.”

NY: “I should be the one thanking you, Sana.”

SN: “..Eh?”

NY: “..I was worried that it might be a bother to you if I spend time with Jihyo and such..”

SN: “..N-no.. it’s fine..”

They were both silently drinking. After Nayeon was done with hers, she suddenly spoke.

NY: “..Just to tell you too, Sana. I actually.. like Jihyo too.”

SN: “..Eh!?”

The words came through that probably surprised Sana. She finally learned that Nayeon actually likes Jihyo the same way the latter likes the older girl.

NY: “..I was just really afraid.. of committing myself. I thought that staying as friends was just fine for us.. I wasn’t ready.”

Sana held on her can firmly while thinking how she might be able to help Jihyo with his worries, but might be stopping her from being able to find a real relationship.

NY: “..But I guess what Jeongyeon told me was true. Sometimes, you will only realize how much another person means to you.. once you lose them..”

SN: “…”

Afterwards, Nayeon stood up and laughed hard

NY: “Hahaha! I’m sorry it sounds so unlike me. Must be the alcohol kicking in. Anyway, I’m happy that Jihyo is happy with you. Take care of her for me always, okay?”

Sana could not reply with words. Instead, she just smiled and nodded at the older girl who made her way back to the rest of the girls. Sana was left behind thinking deeply of the situation. She felt out of place. A burden, somebody who was probably standing in the way between Nayeon and Jihyo.

Soon, Sana also went outside to join the other girls. She saw Jihyo sitting in one corner watching everyone else. The younger girl saw her looking at her and they both diverted their attention elsewhere. After the conversations they both had earlier, they couldn’t help but feel strange with their present situation. To add to that, they were arguing earlier. Jihyo stood up and tried to just the other girls goofing around, while Sana just sat at one end. One girl noticed this and went to Sana’s side.

MN: “..Did you have a fight with Jihyo-unnie?”

SN: “..Eh? N-no! It’s just.. a small thing..”

MN: “..Then you should talk to her.”

SN: “..S-she started it!”

Mina giggled after hearing Sana’s reaction.

SN: “What’s funny about that?”

MN: “Hehe, it’s like you’re really a new couple arguing.”

Mina’s comment made Sana blush just thinking about it. It was true. They were just acting as a couple in front of the rest but they’re arguing as if it was the real thing.

SN: “..I can’t believe Mi-tan is saying this to me. It’s like you know how relationships are! You haven’t been in one though.”

MN: “No, but I learn a thing or two from the manga I read. Hehe.”

SN: “..Hehe, so have you ever fallen in love, Mi-tan?”

MN: “..Eh?”

A bright red tint slowly enveloped the shy girl’s face, something that Sana expected after suddenly throwing that question. She perfectly knew who her friend was thinking of.

SN: “..It’s okay, hehe. I won’t force it out on you. Come on, let’s enjoy~”

Sana and Mina joined the rest of the girls having fun. Sana and Jihyo would steal a glimpse of each other hoping that the other would approach them and talk it out.

Yeri, Jeongyeon and Momo also ordered some pizza and snacks for dinner as they also gave their gifts to Jeongyeon and Momo one by one. Of course, it wasn’t a party if there’s no drinking involved. Chaeyoung helped Nayeon bring out all the drinks she bought earlier for their celebration. It was a blast. By the time it was already around 10pm, the girls have been sharing several stories to each other, making them all get along well. When Mina was given the floor to share a story, she got timid but with encouragement from Jihyo, she was able to speak. The other girls found her very nice and entertaining regardless. Some of the girls cooked some more meat like Momo who felt hungry still. The others were getting drunk and sleepy as the clock continues to push for midnight.

NY: “Hey girls, it’s about time we get some rest.”

MM: “WHAT!? I’m still hungry!”

JY: “Well, you can eat more but make sure you wake up early, okay? There’s a place we should go see before sunrise and it’s really pretty.”

JH: “I’ll stay up with Momo. I’m a light sleeper so I can wake her up.”

CY: “I think you have other matters to attend to, unnie.”

JH: “..Huh?”

Chaeyoung pointed at Sana who was clearly really drunk after having a drinking contest with Jeongyeon and Nayeon.

YR: “..I think you need to accompany your girlfriend to bed, hehe.”

JH: “Ah..”

She kind of forgot about it, but at the end of the day, she was going to share a room with Sana, her ‘girlfriend.’ Jihyo blushed just from the thought that she’ll really spend the night with Sana in one room. Just the two of them. Momo soon approached her and said something.

MM: “Have fun tonight, Jihyo-ssi. Hehehe.”

JH: “W-what are you talking about!?”

MM: “Oh you don’t know?”

JH: “I’ll stay up with Momo. I’m a light sleeper so I can wake her up.”

CY: “I think you have other matters to attend to, unnie.”

JH: “..Huh?”

Chaeyoung pointed at Sana who was clearly really drunk after having a drinking contest with Jeongyeon and Nayeon.

YR: “..I think you need to accompany your girlfriend to bed, hehe.”

JH: “Ah..”

She kind of forgot about it, but at the end of the day, she was going to share a room with Sana, her ‘girlfriend.’ Jihyo blushed just from the thought that she’ll really spend the night with Sana in one room. Just the two of them. Momo soon approached her and said something.

MM: “Have fun tonight, Jihyo-ssi. Hehehe.”

JH: “W-what are you talking about!?”

MM: “Oh you don’t know?”

Sana begged the younger girl’s attention with puppy eyes. Clearly she drank too much than she could handle. It’s also the likely reason why she initiated the conversation, given that the Japanese girl was ignoring her all day.

JH: “..I-I’m just.. just waiting for you to.. talk me..”

SN: “Heeee? That’s not the right way to treat your girlfriend~”

JH: “L-look, Sana.. just rest, okay? You’re clearly drunk.”

Sana just looked at Jihyo for a while. Then suddenly, her eyes started to water as she started crying. Jihyo panicked and immediately went to consoling her partner. She hugged her and rubbed her back to make sure she feels comfortable.

JH: “I’m sorry, Sana. Okay? I know I shouldn’t have said those things earlier.. I’ll stay now, okay?”

SN: “…”

JH: “..Sana?”

SN: “..Get my pajamas.. on my luggage.”

JH: “W-what!? Err.. o-okay.. wait..”

Jihyo felt that she had no choice but to follow Sana’s requests. She had to take care of her especially now that she’s drunk and vulnerable. The younger girl handed over her change of clothes.

JH: “Here you go.”

SN: “..Thanks~ hehe.”

Suddenly, Sana started stripping in front of her surprising Jihyo who immediately looked away after turning completely red. She just knows that her heart couldn’t handle it.

JH: “S-SANA! DON’T SUDDENLY DO THAT!”

SN: “Heee~ are you shyyyy? But we’re both girlssss~ I’m your girlfriend too~”

Sana teased her by throwing her pieces of clothing to her while she change to her pajamas.

SN: “Okay I’m done~ You can look now~”

Jihyo slowly turned behind to look at the girl she’s attracted to. It was her first time seeing her like that and just really made her think what if they were really dating right now? What would she do in this situation. Sana then tapped on the bed three times trying to tell Jihyo to sleep beside her. The latter was certain that she had no choice coming into this so she just followed the drunk girl. As she laid in bed together with her present attraction, she just looked at the ceiling trying to not lose her mind. Sana was just a few centimeters away from her. It was silent and she could really hear her heartbeat. She can see her in her peripheral view, also looking at the ceiling.

In a moment’s noticed Sana turned to face her. Luckily the lights were off and only the dim moonlight is trying to reveal how embarrassed she looks right now. She doesn’t know if she should speak or not. Turning to her left would be very awkward as if she’s turning away this sweet girl she fell in love with. Jihyo just tried to close her eyes and imagine that she’s alone.

However, Sana’s breathing isn’t helping. Her natural scent was very intoxicating begging her to lunge at the drunk girl and hug her tightly. However, Jihyo doesn’t want to ruin it. Sure, Sana may be drunk, but the trust she built up with her is at risk should she do anything else.

With all the thinking going on, she suddenly heard the Japanese girl speak.

SN: “..Can I hug you?”

Jihyo didn’t react. She wasn’t sure if she heard the words correctly, or she did and didn’t just want to believe it. This was probably what Momo meant about Sana being very clingy. Jihyo wondered though, is Sana like this as well if she’s not drunk? The Japanese girl then continued her previous statement.

SN: “..I usually hug a pillow when to sleep, but there’s no extra, hehe.”

JH: “..S-sure..”

Jihyo said it. She didn’t want to admit that she wanted it to happen, but now that Sana will be clinging onto her, she already knew that she won’t be able to sleep that night. It was worth it though.

Sana asked her to turn to her side so she can wrap her arms around her waist, and she did. The Japanese girl’s hands were small. It was skinny, but definitely warm. Jihyo could feel Sana’s head resting on her back as she tries to snooze. At that moment, Jihyo wanted time to freeze. Just stay there for all she cares about the rest of the world, Sana’s warm hug is all that she ever needs. With her ‘girlfriend’ hugging her belly, the next thing she wish to do was to hold that same hand. Yet, she was afraid that things would go awkward between them should she do that.

The night continued to pass. Jihyo couldn’t sleep. She was positive that Sana could feel her crazy heartbeat, although the younger girl was breathing deeply. She was probably comfortably asleep already and it was just her left panicking in the middle of the night. She noticed that the fire outside the window was extinguished as the others are probably going to bed by now.

Jihyo didn’t know how much time has passed already. The sun was probably going to rise soon. She couldn’t sleep at all, not with a moment that she wished was real all along.

While this was happening though, Sana was already awake. She remembers half of what she happened that evening and started to question herself what the hell she was doing. It was true though that she needs something to hug to fall asleep.

Still, she was just Jihyo’s pretend girlfriend for the time being. With them being inside just one room and nobody else, she could have just tried sleeping and not have done all those things earlier that night. After everything she learned previously and on that day, she felt that she’s no longer needed to pretend as Jihyo’s girlfriend. Or worse, she’s a hindrance now. Nayeon likes Jihyo, and Mina likely does so as well. The two girls that know the truth that there’s nothing going on between them and that she’s only a girlfriend for hire. Sana had her own fair share of thinking, but what she really understood from everything happening right now, she had to stop being Jihyo’s acting girlfriend.

SN: (..This isn’t right.. but why.. why don’t I feel fine with it? Why are my hands.. not letting go of her?)


	12. The Response

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sana and Jihyo are both conflicted of their present situation. Each one of them gets their answer the following day.

The early morning, Jihyo woke up, but not exactly, as she couldn’t sleep at all. They needed to be up before sunrise as they will all go see it. She got up from the bed carefully to avoid waking up her ‘girlfriend’ who she thought was sleeping still. Afterwards, she headed straight to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for their final day there.

When Sana saw Jihyo enter the bathroom, she got up too and tried to go outside their bedroom. However, she noticed something unusual. She noticed that their door was slightly open.

SN: (..Eh? Did someone.. see us?)

This bothered Sana. If anyone else saw them, it would probably be fine since everyone thinks that they’re dating. However, it won’t contribute to ending this act between them. It also made the Japanese girl realize something. If they end this act and ‘break up’, how would everybody else react? They’re friends with everyone else, and that makes things even more difficult.

As Sana went out of her room, she noticed one more girl coming out of another room.

SN: “..N-Nayeonie?”

Nayeon looked at her, yawning like she hasn’t slept that well.

NY: “..Oh. Morning, Sana.”

Another strange thing just occurred to her. She realized it as soon as the oldest girl went out of the room. It wasn’t hers, but was Mina and Momo’s room.

SN: “Umm.. why were you in that room?”

NY: “..Oh! Right. Last night Jeongyeon dragged Momo all the way up to her room. Unfortunately, she fell asleep and stayed in our room instead. Mina was already sleeping in theirs so we decided I switch rooms with Momo.”

SN: “..I see.”

NY: “Anyway, did you have a good rest with Jihyo?”

Sana blushed because of Nayeon’s question. Luckily, it was still pretty dark and her red face can’t be seen so clearly. It was definitely embarrassing of her to do all those things. She was also worried that Jihyo’s opinion of her may have changed a bit.

SN: “Y-yeah! It was cozy.”

NY: “..Must be nice to sleep beside your beloved, hehe.”

Nayeon’s words somewhat stung her. She knows the older girl likes her client. And them pretending to date in front of her made the younger girl feel bad.

SN: “..S-So, what time do we leave?”

NY: “In about 20 minutes. Let’s wake the rest of the girls.”

SN: “Gotcha.”

Nayeon went to Chaeyoung and Yeri’s room just beside theirs while Sana went to wake Jeongyeon and Momo up. She knocked on the door and slowly opened the door to check up on them.

Sana blushed because of Nayeon’s question. Luckily, it was still pretty dark and her red face can’t be seen so clearly. It was definitely embarrassing of her to do all those things. She was also worried that Jihyo’s opinion of her may have changed a bit.

SN: “Y-yeah! It was cozy.”

NY: “..Must be nice to sleep beside your beloved, hehe.”

Nayeon’s words somewhat stung her. She knows the older girl likes her client. And them pretending to date in front of her made the younger girl feel bad.

SN: “..S-So, what time do we leave?”

NY: “In about 20 minutes. Let’s wake the rest of the girls.”

SN: “Gotcha.”

Nayeon went to Chaeyoung and Yeri’s room just beside theirs while Sana went to wake Jeongyeon and Momo up. She knocked on the door and slowly opened the door to check up on them.

At a certain point, both of them knew they need to talk it out. It’s a matter of who would be the one to take the lead. As they prepared, it doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon. Soon, Nayeon entered their room and call to them.

NY: “You two ready? Let’s head out now.”

JH: “Y-yeah.”

The eight girls followed Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s lead as they head to a viewpoint near the cabin to see the sunrise. Jeongyeon always told about this place to Jihyo and Nayeon when she had the chance while they’re chatting. Finally, they’ll be able to see it. Upon reaching the peak of the hill, they all sat down and looked towards the east. In a minute or two, the sun started to rise. It was a beautiful scenery that only a select few will be able to witness.

During this time, Jihyo had plenty of time contemplating about how she really feels. In a way, she’s being too safe and not risking it with Sana. Yet, will they be stuck like that forever?

Sana too thought about several things. She was just a rental girlfriend to Jihyo, providing her some happiness until the younger girl is able to move on or find a real girlfriend. The opportunity lies in wait as she knew two girls who like her. Maybe it was time she brought it up while they were there.

Nayeon brought out some hot chocolate and bread for them to eat while enjoying the view. Chaeyoung helped her place down mats as they all tried to find a comfortable spot to sit on. Sana and Jihyo were left in one side, an opportunity for them to finally talk. That was then that Sana decided she’d start the conversation.

SN: “S-sorry..”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “Umm.. about yesterday. I kind of.. overreacted..”

JH: “Ah.. N-no, I should be the one apologizing.. It was.. wrong of me to ask that and be suspicious about something..”

Sana too thought about several things. She was just a rental girlfriend to Jihyo, providing her some happiness until the younger girl is able to move on or find a real girlfriend. The opportunity lies in wait as she knew two girls who like her. Maybe it was time she brought it up while they were there.

Nayeon brought out some hot chocolate and bread for them to eat while enjoying the view. Chaeyoung helped her place down mats as they all tried to find a comfortable spot to sit on. Sana and Jihyo were left in one side, an opportunity for them to finally talk. That was then that Sana decided she’d start the conversation.

SN: “S-sorry..”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “Umm.. about yesterday. I kind of.. overreacted..”

JH: “Ah.. N-no, I should be the one apologizing.. It was.. wrong of me to ask that and be suspicious about something..”

SN: “..What will you do if somebody likes you?”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “..I mean, if there’s a possibility that someone likes you right now and you knew about it, wouldn’t that be a good chance to finally have a real girlfriend for you?”

Jihyo got confused as to why Sana suddenly brought this thing up. However, she did speculate a few things. Was this Sana asking what if she ended up liking her now? To Sana though, this was just about opening up the possibility for Jihyo as well.

JH: “..I don’t think anyone would like me with how I am right now, hehe..”

SN: “Don’t say that. You’re a very likeable person you know~”

JH: “..But everyone knows that I’m.. ‘dating’ you right now.”

It was definitely contradicting what Jihyo knows. She knew Nayeon liked her still, and with her knowing that Sana’s a rental girlfriend made the older girl’s interest of her much greater.

SN: “..Anybody can like anyone and having to date someone doesn’t stop one person to like her, you know.”

Sana knew this for a fact that Nayeon really sais she likes Jihyo, but isn’t doing anything since she was ‘dating’ the younger girl.

JH: “..Why did you bring it up?”

SN: “I’m just thinking that maybe.. we’re doing something wrong.”

JH: “..What?”

SN: “..Jihyo, maybe we should sto-“

MM: “HEYYYY~ Why are you two so lovey-dovey in the morning? Come join us for breakfast!”

Momo’s sudden interruption came to a big surprise for the two. Jihyo wasn’t sure what Sana meant was wrong at that time, but hopefully they can continue their conversation later. At least now, she’s happy that they are able to talk again. Making her feel much better for the rest of their stay in Gangneung.

On the other hand, Sana felt relieved that Momo indirectly stopped her. This is because she knew she was about to bring up stopping their fake relationship, a thing that would hurt Jihyo. Right after Momo came, she came to realize that bringing up such a thing wasn’t at the right timing. Maybe after the trip, she can talk about it properly to her client.

Sana and Jihyo joined the rest of the girls in their simple morning picnic with a view. Definitely, the relationship of all the girls is becoming closer and closer. After having their breakfast, they all went down back to the cabin. Some took a shower, while others enjoyed other recreational activities. Knowing the risk of bringing up the cancellation of her arrangement with Jihyo, Sana made sure to stick with Jihyo and make her happy.

For lunch, Jeongyeon, Momo, Chaeyoung and Yeri worked together it making some stew for everyone. While Nayeon, Sana, Jihyo and Mina all played badminton at the open area.

NY: “What do you say we split into teams and make a bet?”

JH: “..A bet?”

NY: “Yeah, the team who loses has to answer one question from the other team!”

SN: “..Eh? W-wait, is that okay with you?”

Jihyo and Mina took a bit of time thinking and eventually thought of their response.

JH: “..I won’t lose.”

MN: “..I don’t mind.”

Jihyo’s competitive spirit was coming out and have not thought of the consequences. Sana, however, was worried about the question that she might be asked. Nayeon brought out three pieces of paper with Sana, Mina, and her name on it. She folded them and offered it to Jihyo.

NY: “Pick one, Jihyo. Hehe.”

Nervous, Jihyo prayed that she’d get Sana. Of course this is because she wanted to be paired up with the girl she likes. As she picked up her chosen piece of paper, she unrolled it to see who she’s playing with.

JH: “..Sana! Let’s do our best!”

NY: “I guess Mina’s my teammate. We won’t go easy on you.”

As much as Jihyo was happy to team up with Sana, she didn’t put into account one thing. Three of them, Nayeon, Mina and her were all very competitive individuals. And Sana’s strong suit isn’t really in sports. As their competition went along, Jihyo noticed that her ‘girlfriend’ was lagging behind a bit from the match. Their food was already done cooking so the other girls watched their game before eating. In the end, it was Nayeon and Mina’s team that won.

NY: “Yay! We won~”

SN: “S-sorry, Jihyo. Hehe..”

JH: “I-it’s fine, Sana! Don’t worry.”

NY: “Okay, time for your questions. Hehe, don’t lie! Okay?”

Then it all came down to Jihyo. She realized that Nayeon might ask something completely unnecessary for Sana and blow everything up. The Japanese girl doesn’t have any idea about this as she doesn’t know that Nayeon knows about it.

JH: “..Alright! Ask away.”

NY: “Alright, then I’ll ask the question to you, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Huh?”

Jihyo didn’t expect the older girl to ask her the question, as she thought that Nayeon might use this chance to reveal something to the other girls as well. She eagerly awaited her question.

NY: “..Do you really, really, reaaaally like Sana?”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “W-what!?”

NY: “Just answer, Jihyo!”

The question sounded really plain. Jihyo thought that maybe she’s really worrying over nothing. Much like the previous day, she should probably relax about Nayeon.

JH: “O-of course! I love her so much!”

Both Jihyo and Sana blushed. It sounds embarrassing, but given that the other girls know that they were dating made it sound easy to say. However, Jihyo knew saying such a thing is way too difficult to do should it be only Sana hearing her. Her ‘girlfriend’, on the other hand, felt differently about the situation. Nobody else knew, but she felt bad about the situation. She thought that maybe, Nayeon asked about it to see how much she’s loved by Jihyo. The younger girl’s response was painful as she thought of it as just an act as they aren’t really dating. What’s worse is that for her, it must’ve been painful to hear for Nayeon, making her feel bad.

NY: “..You’re really cheesy, hehe. It’s Mina’s turn then.”

MN: “Umm.. I don’t know what to ask..”

SN: “It’s okay, Mi-tan. Just ask anything you want to know, hehe.”

Sana felt comfortable that Mina is asking her. She could probably answer anything that her wonderful friend would ask her. What she didn’t know though, that such an honest question would make her freeze all of a sudden and change the atmosphere around her.

MN: “..Umm. I’ll leave it to Nayeon-unnie.. hehe”

NY: “..Oh? Hmm let me think.. Ah! Sana, is Jihyo your first love?”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “..Eh?”

MM: “AAAHH!”

Jihyo herself got curious about it, Momo panicked while Sana was left in shock. Everybody became silent, until Sana gave her answer.

SN: “..That’s not important anymore, right? I have Jihyo and that’s all there is to it~"

The answer made everyone else curious as to who did Sana like before getting into a relationship with Jihyo. She could have easily said no but definitely avoided the question. Everyone except for Momo, who knew what her answer would have been.

MM: “..LUNCH TIME! Come on, before it gets cold! Hehe.”

SN: “Y-yeah! I’m hungry~”

They all headed to their dining area to eat. Jihyo was left thinking as to who was Sana’s first love. She didn’t know anything about it. Regardless, she really felt that there was that lucky guy. What made her wonder though is how they separated. Especially since the Japanese girl hasn’t even tried mentioning the topic ever. The only thing she can conclude is that it ended badly. That’s why Sana doesn’t seem comfortable talking about it even before.

Jihyo did notice Momo’s awkward reaction. After lunch, she decided to look for an opportunity to talk to her in private.

Jihyo found Momo go inside her room in the cabin, she looked inside and noticed that she was packing up her luggage already as everyone will be leaving in the evening. The younger girl entered the room as well. She cleared her throat which caught her workmate’s attention.

MM: “..Eh?”

JH: “H-hey there, Momo! You’re packing up already?”

MM: “Oh, yeah. If I don’t I’ll finish last like I always do, hehe. Why are you here, Jihyo-ssi?”

JH: “Oh, just got curious!”

MM: “..You sound suspicious. Is it about Sa-tan’s answer earlier?”

JH: “Hahaha! Of course not. That doesn’t bother me hahaha..”

Jihyo smiled and laughed awkwardly trying to hide the fact that she’s been found out.

MM: “You’re dating her and you don’t know? What kind of girlfriend are you?”

JH: “I-it’s just that it’s something I don’t think is an important topic to bring up, you know!”

Momo looked away and went back to packing.

MM: “Well if it’s not important then you can leave.”

JH: “..So she has one?”

MM: “Not telling~”

At this point, Momo just not saying no made it clear to her that Sana definitely was in love with someone before. It was probably true given that she could have met that person through Dream Life. The things she wanted to know now though, are they still dating? Does she still like that person? Jihyo wanted to know.

JH: “..Thanks, Momo.”

Jihyo left and went outside to do some thinking for herself. Meanwhile, Sana was out on the local district with Mina, Chaeyoung, and Yeri to buy some souvenirs.

YR: “Hey Chaengie! This looks really nice.”

CY: “You’re right. But I wonder where can I put that?”

SN: “Hmm, I don’t really like these type og souvenirs.”

MN: “Let’s try over there, Sa-chan.”

Sana and Mina went to a different aisle as they were looking for something to take home too. There Sana happen to find a small cute-looking elephant figure.

SN: “Jihyo would like this.. Maybe I should get her one.”

MN: “..Can I ask you something, Sa-chan?”

SN: “Sure~”

MN: “..About.. Nayeon-unnie’s question earlier..”

SN: “Ah.. T-that’s just an act! Hehe, don’t think about it too much!”

MN: “..Really?”

SN: “Yup!”

Mina extending her question to her even more really made Sana feel like her friend definitely felt different about Jihyo. She can’t explain why she’s being sensitive about these things. Perhaps it was because she’s the one in between.

MN: “..But.. last night..”

SN: “..Eh?”

MN: “..I saw you that night.. hugging her..”

This was the bad feeling Sana had earlier that day. The only person she knew that knows of the truth between her and Jihyo. It was kind of fortunate though that it was her, so she can clear things out easily.

SN: “Umm.. I was drunk that night, hehe.. I didn’t know what I was doing. I already apologized to Jihyo about it this morning.”

MN: “..I see. But how are you and..?”

Sana knew exactly what Mina was asking. She couldn’t help but just keep silent about it.

MN: “..I’m sorry. I.. shouldn’t have asked..”

SN: “..We haven’t been in contact since the start of this school year.”

MN: “..Eh?”

SN: “It’s fine, Mi-tan. You were there to support me too.”

MN: “..I just listened though.”

SN: “That’s more than enough, hehe.”

Chaeyoung and Yeri were done looking for a souvenir. They dropped by the aisle Sana and Mina are in and told them they’ll be at the store beside the shop to buy some sweets.

MN: “..Then I think it’s also just right for me to say this to you, Sa-chan. Hehe..”

SN: “Hmm? Say what?”

Mina gave off one deep breathe and picked up all her remaining courage just to share something important to her friend. The words hit Sana so hard she didn’t know what to feel from that point onwards.

MN: “..I think I like Jihyo-unnie.”

SN: “..Eh?”

MN: “..I’m not sure, but maybe I’ve been bad at hiding it.. you can tell from before..”

SN: “Ah.. N-not really, hehe. It’s fine.”

And there it was, Mina admitted her feelings for Jihyo. Sana didn’t know what to do with this information. She just knew that this, along with Nayeon, can be the answer to them getting out of this mess they avertedly created.

MN: “..I thought I’d say this to you, because you trust me too about your secret. And that.. you aren’t really dating.”

SN: “Y-yeah..”

The two girls were silent for a bit, not knowing what to say next. Only the feelings floating with it are existing. That was then Sana knew, she just had to ask.

SN: “So.. what are you planning to do next?”

MN: “..I honestly don’t know.. but I really wish to do one thing..”

SN: “..And that is?”

MN: “..Confess my feelings for her.”

SN: “..EH!?!?”

MN: “Not really right now.. but I think if it’s her.. I can do it eventually.. You don’t mind, do you?”

Thoughts came to Sana’s mind. Maybe it was really time for her and Jihyo to ‘break up’. However, it won’t be that easy, as they all formed friendships and bonds altogether. Also, there was something Sana couldn’t explain. As she spoke the next few words in reply to her friend, it only became clear that probably there was something wrong with her. Mina didn’t see it, but as Sana spoke, she clenched her hands into fists out of frustration of what she had to say to her friend.

SN: “..N-no.. I don’t mind.. hehe..”

MN: “..I honestly don’t know.. but I really wish to do one thing..”

SN: “..And that is?”

MN: “..Confess my feelings for her.”

SN: “..EH!?!?”

MN: “Not really right now.. but I think if it’s her.. I can do it eventually.. You don’t mind, do you?”

Thoughts came to Sana’s mind. Maybe it was really time for her and Jihyo to ‘break up’. However, it won’t be that easy, as they all formed friendships and bonds altogether. Also, there was something Sana couldn’t explain. As she spoke the next few words in reply to her friend, it only became clear that probably there was something wrong with her. Mina didn’t see it, but as Sana spoke, she clenched her hands into fists out of frustration of what she had to say to her friend.

SN: “..N-no.. I don’t mind.. hehe..”

The four girls made it back to the cabin. With everyone wrapping up already, Sana made her way to her room shared with Jihyo to start packing. As she opened the door, Jihyo looked at her and was already cleaning up the place.

SN: “H-hey, hehe. Sorry we just got back. I’ll clean up the rest.”

JH: “N-no, it’s fine.. there’s only a few things left to do anyway.”

SN: “I’ll help still.”

It felt awkward again for the two pretending to be a couple. For one, she wasn’t sure of the real status of her ‘girlfriend’. While the other, didn’t know what she will do. They finished everything that needed to be done in silence.

JY: “It’s been a fun weekend everyone. Really enjoyed it!”

MM: “Me too! Hope there’s a next time, hehe.”

NY: “We’ll all be on the same bus this time. It’ll arrive in twenty minutes. Let’s get going!”

Everyone started walking to the bus stop, with Nayeon and Jeongyeon taking the lead while Sana and Jihyo were at the far back. With nobody else able to see them, it somehow gives the two a bit of breathing air to not act from everyone. However Jihyo had other things in mind. Even if no one else was looking at them, her right hand grabbed on Sana’s left, holding her hands to the surprise of the Japanese woman.

SN: (..Eh?)

Because of Jihyo’s actions, a surprised Sana tried to sway her hand as a sign of body language that they didn’t need to hold hands. However, Jihyo’s grip only became stronger.

Thoughts ran in the younger girl’s mind. She didn’t want to think that Sana may really have someone else she still likes. At first, she thought it was Bang Chan.

However, Sana only mentioned that he’s a childhood friend, and that she is currently single. It may not be Chan, but the possibility of another person is there. Not only that, Sana just said she’s not seeing anyone. However, that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t like anyone right now. And a first love isn’t someone you easily get over. Much like how she is sometimes affected by Nayeon’s actions.

They eventually arrived at the bus stop and boarded the public transportation. Naturally, they sat together for the long ride, everyone was resting already, except for Sana and Jihyo. They didn’t wish for their commute to end though. Somehow, they both wanted the ride to last as long as possible. Even Sana, as she still does not know what to say or do. Either way, she knows she will end up hurting someone.

As they arrived in Seoul, the girls went on their ways back to their own homes, with Momo, Mina and Chaeyoung heading back to the dorms while Nayeon, Jeongyeon and Yeri sharing the same way back to their place.

NY: “Take care of Sana, okay?”

MM: “Make sure you send her to her home. Not at a hotel, hehe.”

SN: “MOMO!”

MM: “Bye bye!”

This left Sana and Jihyo alone again. They walked together in silence as they headed to the same direction.

JH: “..Can we stop first for a drink?”

SN: “Sure.”

They both stopped by a vending machine and got a can of soda and coffee. They sat down by the bench beside it and took their time drinking. With no one else there, Jihyo finally decided to bring it up to Sana.

JH: “..So, do you still like your first love?”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “..Sorry. It’s been on my mind all day.”

This was somewhat expected. She was certain that at one point, Jihyo would try to bring it up when they were alone.

SN: “..No, hehe.”

JH: “Really?”

SN: “We don’t need to talk about it Jihyo. It’s in the past~”

JH: “..It matters for me though..”

Sana paused, thinking that maybe her words might remind Jihyo as to what their goal was. However, Sana also did this to remind herself of what had to be done.

SN: “Rather than worrying about my relationship, shouldn’t you be more concerned about yours? We need to find you a real girlfriend~”

Maybe it was out of frustration, but Jihyo definitely knew if she took the first few steps, she’s not going to come back to it.

JH: “I know.. That’s why..”

SN: “..That’s why?”

As they say, it’s all about timing. For Jihyo and all that she has been through, she knew that there will come the time she had to confess her real feelings for Sana.

Meanwhile, as Jihyo mustered up all her courage to speak, Sana received a message on her phone and felt the vibration from her pocket. As she casually waited for Jihyo’s answer, the Japanese girl took out her mobile device to see who it was. As she saw the name of the person. She froze, eyes dilated and stopped breathing for a moment. Just from her reaction you would know that the person who messaged her was someone she knew, and probably someone she hasn’t really contacted for quite a while. Only a few words were written on the mail.

?????:

“Meet me next weekend.”

As she read the message, she can hear Jihyo talking to her. Words that took everything the younger girl had after fighting within herself her heart’s choice and decision.

JH: “..I want you to be my real girlfriend, Sana.. I like you.. I really do..”

Sana didn’t speak and just looked at her phone’s screen. But with the growing silence and no audience around them, the atmosphere made it clear that she knew Sana really heard her. She waited, and waited some more. The deafening silence though made her realize that maybe she was rushing to confess, just because of everything that happened during this weekend. Eventually, Sana snapped out of her trance and realized what she had to do. She put down her phone looked at Jihyo with a smile, a very bitter smile.

SN: “..Hehe, thank you for liking me, Jihyo. But.. I’m sorry..”

As soon as Sana said I’m sorry, everything came crashing down for Jihyo. She could still hear her speak, but could not process anything anymore. It’s done. Over. She was wrong to suddenly confess at that moment. A fool that believed it will work out for them.

SN: “..I’m a rental girlfriend, Jihyo. Our contract states that having a real relationship with our clients isn’t allowed..”

Jihyo wasn’t reacting. Despite not really attentively listening to the girl speaking, the younger girl knew what her rental girlfriend would be ta

SN: “..Besides, even if it were to be allowed, I don’t think you’d be fine with me continuing this job, right?”

Even though this was what Sana said, it was only half of what she really had in mind. In fact, the Japanese girl knew that even for herself, she wouldn’t be comfortable working as a rental girlfriend if she were to be in a relationship, for certain reasons. Now that they were in that situation, Sana understood she had no choice but to bring it up to her client.

SN: “..I think.. we should end this pretend relationship, Jihyo.. me posing as a girlfriend will only stop you in finding someone else.. Someone better.. I’m sure there are people who’re in love with you right now. You just need to look.”

Jihyo this time heard her. However, she still couldn’t react. The words felt too painful to accept. Because for her, there’s no one else better than Sana.

Jihyo wasn’t reacting. Despite not really attentively listening to the girl speaking, the younger girl knew what her rental girlfriend would be ta

SN: “..Besides, even if it were to be allowed, I don’t think you’d be fine with me continuing this job, right?”

Even though this was what Sana said, it was only half of what she really had in mind. In fact, the Japanese girl knew that even for herself, she wouldn’t be comfortable working as a rental girlfriend if she were to be in a relationship, for certain reasons. Now that they were in that situation, Sana understood she had no choice but to bring it up to her client.

SN: “..I think.. we should end this pretend relationship, Jihyo.. me posing as a girlfriend will only stop you in finding someone else.. Someone better.. I’m sure there are people who’re in love with you right now. You just need to look.”

Jihyo this time heard her. However, she still couldn’t react. The words felt too painful to accept. Because for her, there’s no one else better than Sana.

Sana heard her scream. She forced herself to not look back and run back at Jihyo. She knew this was the right thing. For some time already, she’s been playing blind but felt that Jihyo really liked her. That night, it was confirmed to be true. This wasn’t just for Jihyo though, it was for Nayeon and Mina as well.

This wasn’t the first time that she rejected someone. A lot of her clients confessed to her before. Of course, who wouldn’t want a dreamy girl like Minatozaki Sana to be your partner? Rejecting someone should have been easy for her. However, Jihyo was different. Sana was hurt as well, hurt for rejecting Jihyo. That is why as she walked away and hear her scream, tears dropped continuously from her eyes. For her, she doesn’t deserve Jihyo and needs someone better than her.

Sana also knew that if she were in a different situation, she probably wouldn’t have said no. However, that one text message saved her from probably making another mistake.

SN: “..I’m sorry, Jihyo.. but.. this is the right thing to do..”


	13. The Contrast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minatozaki Sana and Park Jihyo return to Seoul with a contract abruptly ending. A confession made them separate. Mina is in between. How will they spend their days now?

Monday, the following day, the start of another week, Myoui Mina woke up early for her first class. She lives in the Yonsei dormitories as part of her scholarship program. One of the few benefits they receive to support their studies. Although students have the option of not staying there, it is quote convenient to pass on.

The young Japanese girl begins her routine by having a bowl of cereal for breakfast. She would then review for her classes that day while eating. Afterwards, a quick bath while listening to some music gets her in the right mood. Then it’s back to the books. Mina would take her time doing so as she prefers this quality time for herself and her first subject doesn’t start until a few hours. She gets ready early though so as the only thing she needed to do next is to walk to her classroom which is about ten minutes. She does this so that once she arrives, first period starts and she’ll be able to focus on studying and avoid any social interaction. However on her first period, she noticed something very unusual.

MN: “..Eh?”

Sana wasn’t present. This was the very first time that her friend was absent for first period, and probably for the entire day. She immediately wondered what happened. Did she get sick? Nothing out of the ordinary happened last night. Even when they all parted ways, Sana looked healthy. This bugged her for some time during her first class. Immediately after the professor dismissed them, she brought out her phone and messaged her friend.

Mina:

“Are you alright? You’re absent today.”

While they wait for the next class though, Mina did not get a reply. The young girl worried a little more as they have a major quiz on that day. And Sana would do everything just to make sure she could tale such a thing. The second professor already arrived leaving her no choice but to wait for the next hour.

Nothing. Sana’s sudden disappearance made Mina feel a little uncomfortable, as her only source of security around a lot of social animals was her friend who understood her deeply.

Knowing that she didn’t get any reply from her, she opted for her next option in knowing what happened: asking Jihyo.

Mina:

“Good morning, unnie. Do you know what happened to Sana-chan? She didn’t come to class..”

However, it was the same. No reply. Regardless of whatever it may be, Mina had a strong feeling that something bad happened that night. If messaging them doesn’t work, her only option was to try to meet them in person.

It was a long wait, with Mina having lunch alone for the first time ever since becoming friends with Sana. It was a strange feeling for her, and an uncomfortable one as she got used to the bubbly energy that was around her at all times. Eventually, all her classes were done. She immediately knew where to head, which is the restaurant where Momo and Jihyo were working part time. She headed to her destination with theories in her mind coming up with reasons why both girls didn’t reply to her. She arrived and checked if Jihyo was there.

Despite all her efforts though, she only saw Momo, who she asked if she knew anything about it.

MM: “Oh, Jihyo-ssi messaged me today saying she’ll take a day off. It was pretty early though. Around 4am I think?”

The time itself was already strange wondering why Jihyo messaged her at such an awkward time. This made Mina think that Jihyo was probably absent for classes as well. Were they together? Why can’t they be contacted? She just had more questions than answers.

MM: “..You think they went to a hotel? Hehe.”

MN: “N-no..”

For sure they won’t be in a hotel, as Mina knew they weren’t really dating.

MM: “Hmm.. Well if you can wait until my work’s done, we can go visit Sa-tan. I haven’t been there yet, but she told me a few months ago where it is in Yongsan district .”

Compared to Momo and Mina, Sana did not opt to stay at Yonsei dormitories as part of her scholarship program. She used to, but she moved out right after the school year began. Both of them didn’t know why, but the cheerful girl just told them she doesn’t want to be confined by some dorm rules.

MN: “..Okay, I’ll wait here. Unnie might arrive too.”

MM: “Okay~”

It was a long wait. Mina continued her studies in the restaurant while looking through the glass outside every now and then curious to see if ever Jihyo would stop by. She had a bit more difficulty reviewing that day because a lot was bugging her mind. By the time Momo finished her shift, the two pf them headed to the address Sana gave to the older girl about four months ago. They were both surprised by the looks of the apartment complex.

MN: “..Sa-chan lives here?”

MM: “I think so. This is the right building. But why did she decide to stay here instead of somewhere closer?”

The apartment complex looks like one that are for the above average type of people. No wonder Momo was surprised as she only knew Sana was doing a part-time job that she wasn’t sure of what. Mina on the other hand, had an idea that her friend was able to afford living there due to her being a rental girlfriend.

MN: “..Maybe because it’s in a good spot in the city.”

MM: “Let’s go to her unit number.”

The two girls went inside the building and went to unit 1229, which was supposed to be Sana’s apartment. Upon arriving, they noticed the unit has the name Minatozaki in it. Momo knocked on the door and called to her.

MM: “Yooo! Sa-tan, are you there?”

But there was no response. Mina crouched and checked on the floor if there’s any light inside the room. However, it was dark.

MN: “..Maybe she went out.”

MM: “What time will she get back though? Should we wait?”

MN: “..I’m not sure. She might not be back today too.”

MM: “Geez we went here for nothing! I hope she replies tomorrow or goes to campus.”

MN: “..Yeah.”

Left without a choice due to no clear evidence as to when Sana would return, both Momo and Mina decided to leave and hope for the best the following day. The latter though, had some thoughts about Sana. Did she do her rental girlfriend job tonight? It was possible. But if something really happened between Sana and Jihyo. She thought it was unlikely. Sana must be in her apartment and just decided to ignore them both.

The following day was just the same. Sana wasn’t there and now Mina was really worried of her. As soon as classes were done, she headed again to where Jihyo works part-time. Upon arrival though, it was the same.

MN: “..Unnie isn’t here?”

MM: “Nope. But there’s someone else here who wanted to see her.”

MN: “..Eh?”

Momo pointed over one occupied table and there was one girl sitting there on her own, Jihyo’s childhood friend.

JY: “Hey there, Mina.”

MN: “Jeongyeon-unnie..”

Upon seeing her, she realized that Jihyo hasn’t really been going to her university as the older girl probably went there to look for Jihyo as well. She approached Jeongyeon and got seated on the opposite side.

MN: “..Umm, hello.”

JY: “I heard Sana was also missing. What happened?”

Mina and Jeongyeon both tried to explain their sides of the story. It was evident too that Jihyo hasn’t really been making her presence known to anyone at all, similar to Sana.

MN: “..What should we do?”

JY: “I did call on Jihyo’s parents but they said she hasn’t been home nor been in contact with them.”

However, in the middle of their discussion, someone made a surprising entry in the restaurant. Particularly, the girl they were all talking about.

MM: “Eh? Jihyo-ssi! Where have you been?”

JY: “Hey! We’ve been worried sick about you! Why haven’t you been to school?”

The younger girl paused and just smiled at them.

JH: “Sorry if I’m late for work, Momo. Please tell the manager I’ll be helping out again today.”

MM: “Y-yeah, okay..”

Jihyo turned around and looked at Mina as she gave the shy girl a smile.

JH: “..Glad to have you here, Minari. Hehe.”

Jihyo headed to the back kitchen to get dressed for work, leaving Jeongyeon and Mina in the dining area. The older girl got frustrated with Jihyo not saying anything as to why she disappeared for some time. Mina though, noticed something different. Despite seeing a smile on the face of the girl she likes, she understood that this wasn’t the real case with her. Something was off about her smile and knew that Jihyo wasn’t really happy. She just didn’t want to say anything about it.

In a bit, Jihyo got back to the dining area ready to tend on some customer orders.

JY: “Hey, Jihyo. Better come back to school tomorrow, okay?”

JH: “..I will. Hehe. Don’t worry about me.”

While time passed, Mina continued to observe Jihyo. She was definitely hiding something. They haven’t even asked about Sana but she’s being very avoidant about it, while trying to act normal. After a while, Mina thought of checking on Sana again. She sent a text message to Momo about it who agreed to go with her later on. Mina and Jeongyeon left the restaurant but the younger girl stayed at the café in front while waiting for Momo. She took her time studying as she passed the time.

As soon as Momo and Jihyo’s shift ended. The younger girl thanked the manager for letting her work that day and immediately left, not even trying to do small talk with her Japanese colleague. Momo headed to the café to meet up with Mina.

MN: “I saw Jihyo-unnie left immediately from here.”

MM: “Yeah. I tried to see if she’d talk to me or something but I guess she didn’t want to. You think something’s still wrong?”

MN: “..I think so. I think it’s connected to Sa-chan.”

The two wasted no time and headed straight for Sana’s apartment. Again though, there was no response from her unit.

MM: “Geez. She’s still not here. Maybe I’ll go ask Chan. He might know what’s up.”

MN: “..I’ll stay here.”

MM: “You sure? She might not show up.”

MN: “..I have a feeling she will.”

MM: “..Okay I’ll wait with you. I’ll just message him.”

The two patiently waited for the arrival of their missing friend. And as Mina predicted, they heard the elevator ring. Minatozaki Sana came out surprised as she saw them waiting in front of her unit’s door.

MM: “Sa-tan! Eh?”

Momo noticed something odd about her friend. She was so well dressed as if she had a date with someone. She first thought that maybe it was Jihyo. However, the younger girl was working earlier and could not have possibly been with her. Other than that, she went out today and skipped school.

MM: “..Why’re you dressed like that? Where were you? Why haven’t you been attending your classes? Mina said you even skipped an exam!”

Mina on the other hand, immediately knew what was going on. Sana has likely skipped classes and has been doing her work as a rental girlfriend. However, this was still very surprising to her. Her classmate never skipped classes just to do her job. Other than this, she hasn’t contacted anyone ever since yesterday.

SN: “..I just went somewhere, hehe. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to school tomorrow~”

MN: “..We were worried about you.”

Sana laughed as she jokingly replied.

SN: “..Did it feel mysterious? Sorry for making you worry~”

MM: “You better be in Yonsei tomorrow!”

SN: “I will, hehe. Anyway, I’m tired. If you don’t mind, I’ll get in my apartment and rest now.”

Sana walked and passed her two friends while bringing out the key for her apartment. It felt strange as if like Jihyo, their friend was also avoiding any conversation. Mina wanted to say something about it, but was afraid that she might bring up something unnecessary. Momo, however, spoke up.

MM: “Did something happen between you and Jihyo? It wasn’t just you who suddenly disappeared. Jihyo-ssi only came to the restaurant today and was acting strange.”

Sana stopped as she unlocked the door to her unit after hearing Momo say that. Even without saying a word, Mina knew something was up. After that moment of silence, Sana looked at them both and had a gentle smile on her face.

SN: “Jihyo and I.. broke up.”

MM: “EH!?”

MN: “..W-what?”

The missing girl then entered her apartment and locked the door, leaving her two friends speechless and shocked. Both of them were completely surprised about their friend’s reply. The two of them were still looking so happy that weekend and all of a sudden, this happened.

Momo doesn’t understand why, but was only able to come to a conclusion that this break up might be because of Sana’s first love. Jihyo was asking her about it, and probably the younger girl could not take it and confronted Sana. Leading to a big argument. It might sound like something simple, but Momo knew that Sana’s first romantic relationship affected her really bad that bringing it up changes the atmosphere around her.

On the other hand, Mina had her own thoughts as well. Suddenly hearing about this ‘break up’ made her feel that whatever’s happening to the two right now was because of her. She admitted to Sana that she likes Jihyo in a way that goes beyond friendship. She thought that maybe, Sana ‘broke up’ with her for the sole purpose of giving her the opportunity to confess to Jihyo, as well as for Jihyo to get into a real relationship instead. There were still a lot of confusing things for her though. One is that Sana didn’t even attend her classes. Sure it may sound like roleplaying that she got affected by the breakup, but her friend wouldn’t miss an exam just for that. The second one is that Sana has been going on dates yesterday and today, which probably took the entire day. Finally, Sana did not even bother to tell her anything about this, should she have really planned to fabricate this ‘break up’ that they had.

MN: “..Let’s go now. It’s more serious than I thought..”

MM: “..Yeah..”

Both Mina and Momo left without saying another word, returning to their dormitory in Yonsei. The only thing they hoped for now is for both girls to return to school.

The following day, Mina arrived in class and this time, saw her friend, Sana sitting there. Sana saw her, smiled at greeted her.

SN: “Good morning, Mi-tan~”

MN: “..Good morning, Sa-chan. Did you.. already explain to our teacher?”

SN: “About my absence? Yup! I’ll be taking the exam later at lunch, hehe.”

MN: “..Good to know.”

Their day proceeded like it normally would. During lunch though, Mina was alone again as Sana had to take her exam. While eating her fill for the afternoon in the university garden, she received a text message.

Jeongyeon:

“Jihyo went to class today. How about Sana?”

The younger girl replied immediately.

Mina:

“She did too. I’m not with her though. She needed to take a test.”

The next message though, made her hesitate as to how she would respond.

Jeongyeon:

“She immediately went off at lunch though. I planned on asking her, but.. do you know what happened between them?”

As much as she knows the truth and the fabricated truth, Mina felt that she was in no position to share such thing and would be better if it came from Sana or Jihyo. She doesn’t know if the two were fine with it being shared to all their peers.

Mina:

“I don’t know. Let’s just ask them.”

After lunch, Mina went back to class and saw Sana still looking fine. She was indeed a natural when it comes to acting, know8ng that yesterday, she saw the saddest smile her friend ever gave her. The younger girl couldn’t wait for the opportunity to talk to her friend. As soon as the bell rang and their classes were done though, Sana took her bag and tried to leave as soon as possible.

MN: “..Eh?”

Mina hastily packed all her things and tried to catch up with Sana. Luckily, she still managed to see her by the school gates. As one shy girl who barely speaks, she was desperate to hear what happened to hear closest friend. This was the first time Mina shouted.

MN: “Sa-chan!”

SN: “..Eh?”

Surprised, Sana stopped and turned around to see her friend who was out of breath trying to catch up to her.

SN: “W-what’s wrong, Mi-tan?”

Mina tried to catch her breath as she wasn’t really one with high stamina. After a brief moment, she finally spoke.

MN: “..Don’t.. don’t leave me again like that..”

Sana realized what she has been doing. Ever since Monday, she left her introverted friend all alone. Even today, when she came to school, she still left her on her own and guessing if they would hang out. Sana moved closer to Mina and replied.

SN: “S-sorry, hehe.. I was going to work so I was in a hurry.”

MN: “..Why are you working a lot recently? You haven’t done that before.”

SN: “Well.. it helps me think clearly, I guess? Haha~”

Mina could feel that Sana was trying to hide something. It didn’t make sense to her that working as a rental girlfriend would clear her mind.

MN: “..Is this about Jihyo-unnie?”

The younger girl hit the right spot. Sana was silent and could not really reply. That was more than enough for her to understand that she was correct.

MN: “Did you.. ‘break up’ with her.. because of what I said?”

SN: “N-no..”

MN: “..You’re lying.”

SN: “..We weren’t really dating. It.. had to happen eventually. It’s the right thing to do.”

What Sana said was true. However, Mina couldn’t help but feel bad about it as the reason why it suddenly happened was because of her telling Sana that she likes Jihyo.

MN: “..Can you.. get back to her?”

SN: “..Eh? Why?”

MN: “..I feel bad that you.. ‘broke up’ because of me..”

That may be one reason, but there’s more to it as to what lead such ‘break up.’ One of which was Jihyo’s sudden confession. The other one being the text message. Both of which, Sana didn’t want to admit to her friend. She knew the confession to her would only affect Mina’s resolve, while the message was something she does not want anyone to know about.

SN: “..But there’s really nothing between us.”

MN: “..How about Jihyo-unnie? How do you think she felt?”

SN: “..Eh?”

MN: “..You told me that the priority of a rental girlfriend is the client’s happiness. I don’t think unnie was happy with what you did..”

Mina was right. Jihyo definitely was hurt from the events that evening. She did hear her scream. And that’s why it really hurt her as well. She valued Jihyo a lot, and letting her go through such an experience was just wrong.

If there’s anything she should have done, it was to make sure that they ended such arrangement properly. She doesn’t know how to though, considering that Jihyo developed feelings for her.

SN: “..I’m sorry, Mi-tan. But that’s not the only reason why I did that.. hehe..”

MN: “..Eh? Then what else?”

SN: “..I’ll tell you in due time, sorry. I have to go now. Let’s hang out tomorrow~”

Sana hugged Mina before she left to head to her client in a few minutes. The younger girl was left wondering as to what else could possibly be the reason why she ended her agreement with Jihyo. What she was certain though, was that Sana isn’t happy at all with what she had to do. A feeling of guilt still lingers on the shy girl as maybe if she didn’t say it to Sana, these things wouldn’t have happened. With a dead end for now with her friend, she only thought of doing something else, which was to check on Jihyo’s condition. Mina would then head to the restaurant again to check up on her, hoping that she would understand even a bit more than that.

As she arrived there, she saw Jihyo working on her shift. She somewhat felt relieved and was worried she might not show up, or worse, quit since she only began doing part-time work there for extra cash and going on dates with Sana.

Jihyo eventually saw her, and smiled. Mina smiled in return but can’t help herself feel anxious with what’s going on the older girl’s mind. The latter approached Mina’s table and spoke.

JH: “You’ve been coming here a lot, Minari. Hehe. What can I get you?”

MN: “Umm.. some salad, I guess.”

JH: “Alright. I’ll be back.”

Before she was able to leave and head to the kitchen, Mina grabbed on Jihyo’s hand.

MN: “W-wait..”

JH: “..Huh?”

Jihyo was surprised and looked back at Mina, who shyly asked her.

MN: “..Can we.. talk later?”

Jihyo turned red just from looking at how Mina was doing her best to ask her about it. The shy girl was definitely flustered. Likely she knew that Jihyo isn’t pseudo-dating Sana. However, her priorities comes first and wish to get on the bottom of things. Jihyo nodded in response to her.

JH: “Y-yeah, sure! Umm, I’ll be done in two hours though.. Will you wait that long?”

Mina nodded as she wasn’t really sure how she looked right now, feeling awkward that she might have been too straightforward with it. She let go of Jihyo’s hand who then would return to the back kitchen to arrange some orders.

The next two hours felt so long as they awaited the end of the shift. Once done, Jihyo headed to Mina’s table again.

JH: “..Sorry to keep you waiting, hehe. So, what would you like to talk about?”

Mina looked around and pointed outside signaling if they can talk while walking. Jihyo got the cue and nodded so they both went out and started to walk without any particular destination.

JH: “..Kinda feels nice to just walk and not think about anything..”

After a few minutes of silence and just walking, Mina spoke up.

MN: “..How are you these days, unnie?”

JH: “..Hmm? Well, I’m okay. I guess.. Why do you ask?”

MN: “..I know what happened between you and Sa-chan.”

JH: “Oh..”

Silence came back as Jihyo had a bitter smile just realizing how concerned Mina was right now.

JH: “..Thanks for worrying, but.. I’m doing my best right now. I deserve it anyway, hehe.”

MN: “..What do you mean?”

JH: “It was my fault that she ended our agreement.. I shouldn’t have confessed..”

MN: “..Eh?”

Mina would then realize what happened between the two. Jihyo had feelings for Sana and have confessed to her that evening.

JH: “..I should’ve known my limits and have not said that. She’s a rental girlfriend after all..”

MN: “..I’m sorry.”

JH: “Why are you apologizing?”

The younger girl understood that Jihyo doesn’t know that she has feelings for her, which has contributed to Sana rejecting her. As much as she wanted to admit it, she couldn’t. In a way, she just felt partly responsible with what happened. She somewhat expected this though, that Jihyo developed feelings for her friend.

MN: “..N-nothing..”

JH: “..So, how is she? I guess you’ve been talking to her.”

Mina didn’t really know what to say. Sana too has been affected a lot with what happened but saying it to Jihyo might only make things worse for her.

MN: “..Not much. She only showed up today.. She’s been preoccupied with her job.”

JH: “Jeongyeon did say she was absent in your classes recently.”

MN: “..You haven’t tried booking her?”

JH: “..After she rejected me, it’s probably the worst thing I could do to her. It’s likely awkward for her if we go on a date again. If she doesn’t want to, cancelling the booking would affect her reputation too.”

Mina brought out her phone and logged in as a guest to check Sana’s schedule. She noticed her opened schedules were abnormal as she opened as much as she can for the whole week. All except Sunday.

MN: “..I’m kind of worried about her.”

JH: “Why?”

Mina showed her phones screen, showing all the opened and booked slots on Sana’s availability.

MN: “..I don’t know why she suddenly opened this many slots for her schedule.”

JH: “…”

MN: “..She still has one slot available on Saturday. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to her?”

Jihyo was silent and thought hard. Of course, there’s nothing else that she wanted to do right now other than to talk to Sana again, sort things out, and probably have her return as a rental girlfriend for her. However, it’s really awkward for her to just book her infatuation without knowing about their real status and intentions. Yes, Sana said they can still talk and be friends. However, there’s this gap between them that she needs to face first before they’re able to talk to each other once more.

JH: “..I don’t think it’s the right time, Minari. Hehe. I need to find the right timing..”

Mina brought down her phone, saddened by the fact that the two people she valued a lot aren’t able to make amends just yet. Yes, she may like Jihyo. However, seeing her and Sana in their normal state, being happy and supportive is also what really matters for her.

JH: “..How about you?”

MN: “..Me?”

JH: “Are you free this Saturday?”

MN: “Umm.. I haven’t opened my schedule yet.. I only try to open one or two every weekend.”

Mina definitely still tries her best to be less awkward around strangers. However, she doesn’t really open a lot of slots since she really needs to recharge her social battery a lot.

JH: “..Can I book you then?”

MN: “..Eh?”

JH: “..We can hangout if you like, hehe. I don’t have much to do. Also, I’d like to see how well you’ve improved since last time.”

It was definitely a golden opportunity. Jihyo had the option to book Sana. However, she opted to go for Mina instead. Definitely, she felt that the older girl wasn’t ready to face Sana. But at the very least, she may be able to make Jihyo happier if she goes for it.

MN: “..O-okay..”

JH: “Great. I guess I’ll see you then?”

Mina nodded in response to Jihyo looking forward to the weekend. The older girl waved goodbye and went back to her place. Soon, Mina realized she’s going on a date with the person she likes, making her blush. Normally, it’s the client who gets shy when scoring a date with a beautiful rental girlfriend. In their situation though, Mina seem to be the one more flustered about going on a date with Jihyo. She went back to the dorm thinking what could she possibly do to make Jihyo happy on their date.

Meanwhile, inside a bar at Seodaemun district was Momo. After her shift, she decided to go for some drinks out of frustration. She doesn’t know what to do about Sana and Jihyo, as she’s close to both girls. She knew she needed someone to share a drink with and let out her frustrations. Mina doesn’t really drink, so she’s out of the question. That’s why she messaged someone who may likely share similar sentiments as her, someone who’s also concerned about the two. They agreed to meet up at 7pm. Momo arrived fifteen minutes early , but that person also arrived before the call time. She saw the Japanese girl sitting at one corner with a bottle of Soju.

JY: “Yo, you’re quite early Momo. I thought I’ll be here first.”

MM: “I couldn’t help it. I really needed a drink real bad. Eh? You’re with..”

Another familiar face came with Jeongyeon.

NY: “Hi, Momo. I hope you don’t mind me tagging along. I was with Jeongyeon when you messaged and I could use a drink too.”

Momo figured that it would be fine, considering that Nayeon was also very close to Jihyo and Sana. She invited them to sit down as they shared a toast. The Japanese girl began sharing what she learned about Sana and Jihyo.

NY: “W-WHAT!? They broke up!?

JY: “..I thought so.”

MM: “Don’t tell them I said it. It’s just frustrating that I don’t know what I can do for both of them.”

JY: “Well, it’s best that we just let them sort thing

MM: “..We’re friends with both and it’s hard if you console one over the other.”

NY: “…”

Nayeon knew there was nothing between Sana and Jihyo. However, hearing about this made her wonder what happened. Was there a kind of breach of contract between them? Did they just decide to end it? Or is there more into this ‘break up’ act? Nayeon felt though, that there may have been an influence of her previous actions towards them that lead to such event.

JY: “..I’m kind of worried about everyone’s relationship once the news is out to them too.”

MM: “Yeah.. and I can’t even talk to Jihyo even while we’re working!”

NY: “Why do you think they broke up?”

MM: “Beats me. Sa-tan just shut the door on us and Jihyo won’t even chat with me!”

They continued to drink and let out their frustrations. Behind this though, Nayeon smiled after hearing this surprising news.

At least now, Jihyo opened herself up again in having a normal relationship, and the younger girl might take notice of her again.

NY: “..Let’s drop by the restaurant tomorrow, Jeongyeon. I want to check up on Jihyo.”

JY: “Alright. But be careful of what you say, she might be still hurt.”

NY: “I know.”

The following day Nayeon and Jeongyeon both went to see the younger girl working at the restaurant. As soon as they entered, they noticed that Jihyo seem to ‘act’ normal and professional as much as possible. She saw them and greeted them with a smile.

JH: “It’s been a while, Nayeon-unnie. Please take a seat.”

NY: “Good to see you.”

JY: “Nayeon was worried about you so she wanted us to come here.”

Both girls sat down comfortably and ordered some food, carefully observing their friend as they waited. She definitely looked okay. But that’s the thing. She’s trying to avoid any chance on bringing it up and talking about it. The younger girl didn’t look fazed as well. Nayeon thought her presence might make Jihyo reconsider approaching her again and reignite old feelings. However, there weren’t any hints of it. As soon as Jihyo served the food for them, Nayeon began talking to her again.

NY: “You seem quite busy with your job, Jihyo. Take it easy.”

JH: “Thanks, unnie. But I’m fine.”

NY: “..Wanna hang out and chill this weekend?”

JY: “..Huh? I thought you-“

The older girl cut Jeongyeon immediately.

NY: “That is if you aren’t doing anything. Hehe.”

Jihyo paused for a bit and smiled at Nayeon.

JH: “Thanks for the offer, unnie. But I do have plans already.”

Nayeon was surprised to hear this, as she thought that Jihyo wasn’t likely to have any plans now that they ‘broke up’ as they said.

NY: “..Next time then, hehe.”

JH: “Sure.”

Nothing else happened that day, as well as the one after that. Sana and Jihyo still didn’t come in contact with each other ever since the younger girl got rejected. Mina also knew that Sana has been overworking the past few days, and she evidently noticed that her friend was already getting fatigued that Friday. Mina even told her to take a break, but was easily dismissed by Sana saying that she’s just fine. Another thing worth noting is that Mina didn’t mention to her friend that Jihyo booked her that weekend as she felt it will only add more to their awkwardness.

That Saturday, Mina couldn’t clear her mind with her worries for Sana as she was about to go on a date with Jihyo. Even if she can’t do anything for Sana right now, at the very least she wish to relieve Jihyo of any sorrow that may be remaining. The younger girl also made sure to ask Sana about her date’s location so that she can make sure they won’t run into each other. At around 1pm, Jihyo met up with Mina in front of Yonsei University. The Japanese beauty made sure to wear pretty clothes to match the occasion, but Jihyo just wore something casual.

JH: “Wow.. you look really nice today. I should’ve dressed up properly too.”

MN: “N-no.. it’s okay. I.. like your style that way.”

JH: “So.. where do we go have lunch?”

MN: “Umm.. this way.”

Mina pointed at the direction she wish for them to go to and took the lead. Jihyo made sure to match her pace of walking and silence just filled the air. Naturally, doing small talk is the best thing to do. But as this technically was a date, Mina was at a loss for words to talk to her.

JH: “..The weather’s pretty nice.”

MN: “Y-yeah..”

JH: “..How is Sana?”

That was when Mina realized that she really doesn’t have any room between the two. Of course, there’s nothing else that Jihyo would like to know about other than that.

Her role for today though, isn’t to let her think about her friend. The younger Japanese girl then moved closer to Jihyo and clung on her arm while they walked, surprising Jihyo with such a bold move.

MN: “..Don’t think about.. that right now..”

Jihyo turned red because of Mina’s sudden moves. She had to admit it. Mina was really cute even just doing the simplest of things.

JH: “M-Minari..”

MN: “..I’ll make you happy today.”

The two of them began heading to one particular restaurant that Mina researched on that will definitely appeal to Jihyo’s taste.

Meanwhile, in Yongsan district, Sana met up with her client in the afternoon.

SN: “Hello~ It’s great to see you again, oppa!”

She had her schedule fully booked yet again. Since she had no classes that day, so she already met up with another one in the morning. She tries her best to still give a big smile to whoever rented her, may it be an old or new client.

??: “You’re looking weary today, Sana. Are you sure you’re okay?”

SN: “..Eh? Y-yeah! I’m fine, don’t worry!”

Sana takes an average of about six to eight clients every week. However, this week has really been a crazy one for her. If we include that Saturday, she would have totaled fourteen clients already. After finishing a date with one, she would then hurry to the next location and continue on with the next person. Nobody knew why was doing this, except for her.

Back at Jihyo and Mina, they both finished eating a meal that Jihyo really enjoyed. This was very noticeable as the older girl had no particular mention of Sana and just talked about the food with her acting girlfriend that day.

JH: “The seaweed soup was really good! I might comeback to this place in the future.”

MN: “I’m glad you liked it.”

JH: “I sure did! I didn’t really expect you’d find such a neat place like this.”

The waiter handed them the bill. As Jihyo was about to reach for her wallet, Mina spoke up.

MN: “..Let’s split the bill.”

JH: “..Huh? No, it’s fine. It’s not that expensive.”

Mina then took the bill and handed over the payment to the waiter even before Jihyo was able to react.

MN: “..I insist.”

Jihyo doesn’t know why, but Mina’s smallest of actions were having such a huge impact on her. She could help but accept her offer. It’s probably because she doesn’t do much that even the simplest deed becomes big.

JH: “..Alright. Thanks, hehe. So, where are we off to next?”

MN: “Umm, follow me.”

They went out of the restaurant and off to the next place, which was an arcade center.

JH: “Oh, this brings me back on our first date. You really enjoy arcades, huh?”

MN: “..I know you do too.”

JH: “..Right, hehe. So, do you want to make a bet or something?”

MN: “..Eh?”

JH: “..I’m still salty from losing last time. This will be redeeming myself! Whoever loses gets to do what the winner wants!”

MN: “..Okay.”

Jihyo wasn’t particularly sure what she’d like if she wins. Mina had some ideas, but it’s not important for her. Jihyo enjoying this date is what matters for her.

Back at Sana’s date, the Japanese beauty was out of focus and would sometimes make her client dissatisfied.

??: “Hey, Sana. Are you even listening?”

SN: “..Eh? Y-yeah! Hehe. Sorry..”

??: “Maybe I shouldn’t have booked you again. It was amazing on the first date but you’re not paying attention to me anymore.”

SN: “..I-I’ll make it up to you, okay? I just had a few things in mind.”

Sana was definitely in no shape already. However, she’s still insisting regardless of how she’s feeling.

SN: (After today, I can probably take it easy.. Hang in there, Sana..)

Back at Mina and Jihyo, they went through several games in the arcade center. From fighting games, shooter games and more. Their win-losses were pretty much tied but in the end, the Japanese girl emerged victorious.

JH: “I guess I just can’t beat you, Minari. But I really enjoyed!”

MN: “..Me too.”

JH: “..So, what do you want?”

Mina looked around, thinking and searching as to what she could possibly have Jihyo do. Eventually, she thought of something that just came to her mind. But as soon as she considered saying that to Jihyo. She turned red and embarrassed to ask such a thing. Nonetheless, she gathered all of her courage just to say it.

MN: “I want you to.. go on a date with me again.”

JH: “..W-what!?”

Mina did not dare to say it again, as it felt really awkward for her to request for such a thing. Jihyo was surprised, but definitely heard her request clearly. After a brief moment of silence between the two, Jihyo replied while still being flustered from Mina’s request.

JH: “W-well.. if that’s what you want then.. sure.”

The atmosphere was still awkward. The younger girl then saw a photo booth which she got interested in.

MN: “..Can we.. take a photo?”

JH: “Photo?”

Mina pointed at the photo booth inside the arcade center. Jihyo got the signal afterwards.

JH: “S-sure! Come on~”

They both entered the photo booth, which was a little cramped than expected, so they had to stick a little closer for the photo. They both got embarrassed just with their shoulders touching the other. Afterwards, they got the photo from the machine which had two copies of four. Mina took both and handed over one to Jihyo. The older girl was reminded of her first date with Sana, where they took a photo together that she still keeps on her desk. It was definitely a bittersweet memory.

JH: “T-thanks, hehe. I’ll put this on a safe place.”

Mina didn’t reply but just smiled at Jihyo, who seem to be enjoying herself well. The older girl checked on the time.

JH: “We have about an hour left. What would you like to do?”

MN: “Umm.. a movie..”

JH: “Oh? We’ll watch a movie? Ah! Right! The sequel of my favorite movie was already released! But that’ll take around two hours.”

MN: “..I-it’s okay.. let’s watch it.”

JH: “You’ll watch with me? Then let’s go! Hehe. Thanks, Minari.”

They both headed to the nearby movie theater to watch a movie. Meanwhile, Sana just finished her recent booking and was on her way to Mapo district for the next client.

However, her condition is becoming worse. On her way, she felt dizzy and a little hotter than normal. It was just one last client though. After this, she can rest. Despite that though, she understood that doing this was a little too much. She should have known better. She doesn’t even feel good now, worse than what she had to do to Jihyo.

SN: (..I’m really sorry, Jihyo.. I really.. feel bad with what.. I had to do..)

Back at Jihyo and Mina, they both enjoyed watching the movie together for almost two hours. Jihyo kept on babbling about what they saw and her own theories about the story and such. The younger girl found it interesting and did her best to understand every bit of detail her infatuation was sharing to her. She wanted to make sure that she can reply as she wanted Jihyo to remember that day as a happy one.

JH: “And that’s why I’m really excited for the next installment on the series!”

MN: “I’m sure it’ll be interesting, unnie.”

Jihyo then noticed it was already dark outside.

JH: “..I guess we should head back already before it gets too dark.”

Mina was somewhat saddened that their date was already ending. With that in mind though, she wishes to finish it with something memorable.

MN: “Umm.. there’s somewhere I’d like to go first. I’m sure you’d like it.”

JH: “Hmm, alright then. Lead the way.”

Mina nodded and they walked side by side. Not much was spoken by the two and they just enjoyed the peace that has come to them. They stopped over a stall that sells some delicious Hotteok, one of Jihyo’s go-to snacks.

JH: “Wow. This is really yummy.”

MN: “..We’re almost there.”

After a few turns here and there, then trekking on a small elevated area, they finally arrived at a panoramic view of Han River.

JH: “Wow..”

MN: “..I come here at night.. When I wish to clear my mind..”

Jihyo was just silent, looking at the great stretch that the river extends. This made her think that there’s so much in the world that one small unfortunate event does not dictate the end of everything we experience. We grow because of that. And that

should be applicable to her as well. She may have been rejected once again, but that just means she had to endure it and let the river of fate decide what’s next for her.

JH: “..Thanks, Minari.. I really enjoyed today thanks to you..”

MN: “..It’s me who should be thanking you.”

JH: “..Huh? I didn’t do anything.”

MN: “..You did.. you definitely did.”

Despite being the one who tried to please Jihyo, Mina felt really happy just to see the peace that the older girl had throughout the entire day. That alone was enough to make her happy as well.

JH: “..I guess the feeling is mutual, hehe.”

Mina turned to the side, trying to hide the fact that she’s blushing right now.

MN: “Umm.. we can go home now..”

JH: “R-right.. Let me take you back.”

MN: “N-no.. I’ll be fine. It’s just one ride from here..”

JH: “..Okay. Message me when you get home, okay?”

Mina nodded as she waved goodbye to her infatuation and hurryingly walked away, almost tripping in the process. Jihyo got worried for a second but was relieved that she’s fine.

The older girl had to admit, being with Mina all day has been very refreshing for her. She thought that it might not be so bad if she becomes closer to the shy girl from now on. She returned back to her place smiling.

Mina also returned back to the dorm. She couldn’t believe what just happened. She might not be that expressive as a person, but she definitely experienced absolute bliss just to see how Jihyo was satisfied the entire day. She felt like giving herself a pat on the back for doing so. The older girl even gave her a five star review where some comments she left behind had a lot of meaning to it for her.

PJH21:

“Best date I ever had! She may be shy, but she always does her best.”

Such comments gave her a boost in her confidence. However, Mina also very well knew that she was only able to do so because she really likes Jihyo. If it were just a regular customer, she felt that she won’t be able to do that well.

She went to bed and made sure to put her photo with Jihyo on a picture frame for safe keeping. It was one of the best days that Mina had. She sent a message to Jihyo saying she got back home safely and turned to bed.

Around the same time, Sana was already done with her last client and already got back home. However, the last date went really poorly. She’s unable to let out her energetic aura, and was unable to make her date happy, giving her only a two-star review. This was frustrating for her as this was the first time she got a really low review, which is likely going to affect her reputation in the future.

SN: (..At least.. I’m done now.. Need to.. rest..)

After reaching her room, she collapsed on the bed and dozed off immediately. It was really tiring for her, but in a way, it was probably just her punishing herself for what she did to Jihyo as well. She woke up in the middle of the night and noticed she fainted. Sana tried to fix herself and lay in her bed properly.

SN: (..I don’t think.. I can go out tomorrow.. I better send a message..)

Sana picked up her phone and tried to type a text message. Even just trying to find the right character was hard for her, realizing how much she is in no shape at all. After giving in more effort than usual, she finally finished typing and sent it.

Sana:

“Can you go drop by my place instead tomorrow? I think I’m sick.”

Afterwards, Sana tried to get some rest before she gets any worse.

The following morning, Jihyo woke up all refreshed after a good day yesterday. As she has missed some time at work, she was to compensate for that this Sunday. After some quick preparation, she headed off to her part-time work.

The date yesterday affected her positively, as if her usual self was back. There were a lot of customers but she handled everything smoothly.

By the time it was already past peak hours at lunch, Momo came to the restaurant for her shift. During her discussion with Nayeon and Jeongyeon a few days ago, Nayeon suggested an idea of maybe normalizing things by making both Sana and Jihyo meet up and talk to both of them at once. This is why Momo asked Sana to come to the restaurant in the late afternoon. She knew that Sana knows, Jihyo normally doesn’t work on Sundays so it can be a good chance for them to keep their friendships intact. Jeongyeon was somewhat against the idea, but eventually gave in since Nayeon was quite insistent about it. She wasn’t sure of the older girl’s real intentions though.

MM: “You’re looking fine today, Jihyo-ssi. Hehe.”

JH: “Am I? Maybe I just got a lot of sleep, hehe.”

NY: (Jihyo does look fine compared to what Jeongyeon told me. Did something happen?)

JY: “Well, I’m glad that you’re back to normal. More or less.”

The three girls waited for Sana’s arrival, but she hasn’t shown up still. It was then that Momo received a message. She opened it and noticed the message was from her friend.

MM: “..Eh!?”

JH: “..Hmm? What’s up, Momo?”

Nayeon and Jeongyeon also both looked to Momo’s direction, curious as to what startled her.

MM: “..Sa-tan is sick.”

NY: “W-what?”

JY: “What did you say? Sick?”

MM: “She said she forgot to message me. She was supposed to drop by today, but she can’t now.”

NY: (Damn.. this was unexpected..)

Jihyo was silent. Realizing that right now, Sana is on her own. No one else is there to take care of her, so she is likely struggling right now if she can’t even go out.

MM: “..I guess I could visit her after my shift.”

JH: “..Where does she live?”

MM: “..Eh? You don’t know?”

JH: “..I’ll go to her now. My shift is done.”

Momo had second thoughts, but this was Jihyo she’s talking to. Maybe if she could take care of Sana, they could get along well again despite breaking up. The Japanese girl picked up a piece of paper and wrote down Sana’s address, handing it over to Jihyo.

JH: “..Thanks, Momo. I’ll get going now.”

NY: “W-wait! I’ll come wi-“

Jeongyeon grabbed on Nayeon who was about to stand up and follow Jihyo. Because of this, the younger girl was already out of sight, not even taking the time to change her clothes.

NY: “Why did you stop me!?”

JY: “..I think it’s better this way. Just the two of them. At least Jihyo’s making an effort to see her again, right?”

NY: “..R-right..”

Jihyo hurried to go to her infatuation’s side. She didn’t know what came to her, and just wanted to be with her right now. Her mind didn’t listen to her body that just wanted to go see Sana, hoping that the energetic girl was fine. Eventually, she reached her apartment complex. She checked up on the unit number and followed Momo’s instructions, leading her to the front door. She swallowed up everything that happened between them, all her guilt and frustrations of getting rejected by this girl that changed her. Jihyo opened the door which she didn’t notice was unlocked and entered, calling out the name of her used-to-be rental girlfriend.

JH: “Sana! Are you here? Are you alright?”

As she looked around, she noticed that the place was a mess, a lot of clothes were on the floor, stuff were disorganized and more.

With the lights open, she knew Sana was inside. Jihyo went further in to check up on her and saw what was likely the bedroom door. She opened with without any hesitation and called out to her.

JH: “..Sana?”

There she saw the Japanese girl laying in her bed looking to her side. That was then that Jihyo noticed, Sana was not alone. She looked to the direction where Sana was staring and noticed a tall woman with incomparable visuals who turned around and looked at her. Her eyes were very cold, as if looking straight into her soul. She knew right then that this person in front of her now was likely someone significant to Minatozaki Sana.

SN: "W-wait, Tzuyu. I can explain.."


	14. The Difference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihyo and Tzuyu meet each other for the first time, both connected because of one girl. The fateful encounter of Sana and Jihyo after the former's rejection.

SN: “T-Tzuyu, I can explain..”

The tall girl looked back at Sana, who was struggling to speak. The look in her eyes showed no remorse or whatsoever to the Japanese girl.

Just by looking at the two, Jihyo could already tell that this girl she met just now, likely has a sour relationship with Sana. She wasn’t entirely sure how they are related, but it was a possibility that this was Sana’s first love. Probably a former lover already, since she doesn’t look like she cares that Sana was sick.

SN: “I.. know this girl..”

TY: “..Do you think I care who this girl is?”

This were the first few words Jihyo heard from the intimidating woman. Immediately, Jihyo tightened her stance as she felt that anything could happen. Tzuyu faced Jihyo again and locked eyes with her.

TY: “..Why are you here?”

The atmosphere around them felt so heavy for Jihyo. As soon as this girl Tzuyu asked her a question, she realized that should she say something wrong right there, it would be the end of everything she hoped for. But what was it that she hoped for coming there? Her first objective was to take care of Sana. Looking at the situation right now, it doesn’t look like Tzuyu was taking care of her. She mustered up all her courage to try and speak to her.

JH: “I’m Sana’s.. friend. I’m here to take care of her.”

Of course. She can’t tell that they’re a couple because it’s not true. Saying that she is Sana’s client might also make the situation worse. Regardless of how it is, at the very least she knew they can still be friends and can contact each other. Tzuyu had no reaction and just stared at Jihyo. The latter then tried to look at Sana who just listened to them now. There was a look of worry on the Japanese girl’s face as she looked at her. Suddenly, Tzuyu started to move out of the bedroom and spoke.

TY: “Outside. Now.”

Jihyo couldn’t help but follow the tall girl’s orders. Will she be told to get out? Sana is right there in front of her, but she can’t come to her yet. If she were to resist, things might end up even worse. Tzuyu then looked back at Sana before exiting.

TY: “I already got what I came for. I’ll be back next time. But don’t make me come to your disgusting apartment ever again.”

Tzuyu closed the door and went outside the apartment with Jihyo. Once they were at the front door, the tall girl turned around and looked down on her. No words were immediately shared by the two of them, but nonetheless, the heavy air made it so for Jihyo to be worried with what’s about to come. This time though, she took the initiative to start talking to this intimidating woman.

JH: “..What is it?”

Tzuyu sighed deeply as she once again spoke to the shorter one.

TY: “..I didn’t know Sana had a visitor coming today. But it looked like you didn’t tell her you’d come over.”

JH: “..S-sorry. I came here on my own free will. B-but you shouldn’t have left the door open earlier.”

TY: “..Is that what you’re worried about? Stop babbling nonsense.”

There was definitely no going around talking to this girl in front of her. She wasn’t there to make friends. Rather, it felt more like a test of resolve. That’s why Jihyo gathered every remaining bit of courage she had before making her statement.

JH: “..I came here because.. I want to take care of Sana. She’s sick right now.”

TY: “..Obviously she’s sick. That’s why I don’t want to stay there any longer.”

The girl was pretty harsh with her words. She clearly understood a bitter relationship existed between Sana and Tzuyu. Despite that though, she felt it was wrong for her to just leave and not even try to take care of the sick girl.

JH: “..You should have at least checked on her condition.”

TY: “You don’t have any right to tell me what to do. Why should I do that for her?”

JH: “..Because if you were both in each other’s shoes, I’m sure that Sana would take care of you. She is a good person.”

Tzuyu laughed a bit and covered her face while doing so, as she found the shorter girl’s statement as a joke. Afterwards, she regained her composure before replying.

TY: “..What’s your name?”

JH: “..Jihyo. Park Jihyo.”

Tzuyu paused. Somewhat surprised of what she learned just now as the name was definitely ringing on her.

TY: “..So you’re the one.”

Jihyo didn’t expect Tzuyu’s reply. It somewhat felt that this girl knew of her identity and just so happened they finally met.

JH: “..W-what are you talking about?”

TY: “You’ve been renting her for the past few months.”

The air felt so thick as she realized that Tzuyu knew of Sana’s work as well as her regularly booking the Japanese girl. Considering that she knew only Mina and Chan are aware of her work, she understood that the tall girl knew a lot about Sana. Regardless of her sudden statement, Jihyo held her ground.

JH: “..And what about it?”

TY: “..You’ve only known that girl for three months. You don’t know the real her at all.”

JH: “..But that doesn’t mean that I can’t say that she’s a good person.”

TY: “Don’t make me laugh. That woman is dangerous. She will abandon you in your most vulnerable state. For her own benefit.”

After hearing this, she somewhat felt affected by the tall girl’s words. What she said in a way was true. She was abandoned all of a sudden, robbed of everything that was making her happy. Left alone with a broken promise of finding a girlfriend for her. She can’t blame Sana completely though, as her developing feelings for someone she shouldn’t have was still her own mistake.

Jihyo wondered, what did the two of them go through? Why is there so much hatred for Sana? All she knew was the Sana that acted as a rental girlfriend for her. Beyond that though, her past, everything, she didn’t know. But still, Jihyo had a firm belief.

JH: “..It’s true that I don’t know much about her past.. and in a way, she did abandon me when I needed her.”

TY: “…”

Jihyo raised her head and looked directly to Tzuyu’s eyes, having filled with her own determination.

JH: “..But that’s the past. What’s important is the future. And even if you say that, I believe that she changed for the better!”

Tzuyu just looked at her, as she has never seen someone like Jihyo. Her mindset and resolve when it comes to such things, even though she doesn’t want to admit it, was impressive. Still, she knows that the girl in front of her barely knew anything about Sana.

TY: “..Believe whatever you want to believe in. But I want you to remember one thing, and remember it well.”

Tzuyu moved closer to Jihyo’s ear and whispered to her words that sent chills down her spine.

TY: “..Minatozaki Sana is mine.”

Jihyo moved backwards a bit after hearing what Tzuyu mentioned. The latter then headed off to leave the apartment complex. Jihyo had time to think. She did not understand what this girl meant.

Her words were so strong that it made her feel worried if she ever faced her again. What is their relationship? Are they really a couple? Exes? She might not know about it, but right now, her priorities are different. She hurried back inside the apartment, closed the door, and knocked at the bedroom door before entering once more. There, she saw the Japanese girl, who tucked herself in her bed with her eyes closed.

Jihyo saw a chair beside the bed, suggesting that Tzuyu might have sat there while they were talking to each other.

JH: (..So Tzuyu does care about her. Maybe..)

The younger girl sat down right there and looked at Sana. The latter then slowly opened her eyes, looked at Jihyo for a bit and placed her gaze away right after.

SN: “..Momo told you?”

JH: “..Yeah. But I came here on my own free will.”

Sana turned to the opposite side so as not to see Jihyo.

SN: “..I’m fine. I just.. need to rest. You can leave now..”

Instead of leaving, Jihyo placed her hand on Sana’s forehead to check on her temperature, immediately noticing that the sick girl was lying.

JH: “..Don’t be stubborn. You need help. Do you have any medicine here?”

SN: “…”

It was evident that Sana was still affected by what happened past weekend. Jihyo is as well. However, the younger girl was more concerned about Sana’s health. That’s why she chose to take care of her, even if Sana didn’t want to.

JH: “..I’ll look for medicine then.”

Jihyo stood up and left the bedroom as she started to look as to where Sana’s medicine cabinet would be she would again notice the mess around Sana’s place suggesting that the girl was pretty disorganized.

Once she makes the Japanese girl more comfortable, she decided to also clean the whole place up. Eventually, she stumbled upon Sana’s medicine stock and found what she needed. She returned to her bedroom with a glass of water.

JH: “Here you go. Take it.”

SN: “..Why did you come here?”

JH: “..To take care of you.”

SN: “..I didn’t tell you to come.”

JH: “Enough, Sana. You’re very important to me. That’s why I choose to do this.”

SN: “..We’re not.. in a relationship.. you don’t have to do this..”

Jihyo paused for a bit, remembering the fact that she was rejected by Sana. In this kind of situation, it would be really awkward for her to stay and take care of her there. The younger girl didn’t care though. She knew she came to take care of Sana because she still has feelings for her.

JH: “..You’re a rental girlfriend, right?”

SN: “..Y-yeah.. why?”

JH: “So your job is to make your clients happy for the tine period that you are their girlfriend..”

Sana gave a weak nod in response to Jihyo’s question. She didn’t know what the younger girl was trying to imply, but what happened afterwards surprised her. Jihyo brought out her wallet and brought out some cash, she then handed it over to Sana.

JH: “..I’d like to rent you for the entire day today. If I can take care of you and see that you recover, that would make me happy.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Sana was surprised and immediately blushed from Jihyo’s request, quickly hiding half her face under her blanket just to cover her embarrassment.

SN: “..Y-you’re crazy! I.. I didn’t ask you to take care of me too! Our agreement.. is over last week..”

JH: “..Exactly. That’s why I’m just doing this as a client. If you don’t accept, I could leave a bad review in your profile. I still have one review I can make.”

Sana couldn’t believe what Jihyo was trying to do now. She kept on pushing her away. However, the younger girl just wouldn’t. She knew she definitely needed someone to take care of her. But maybe not Jihyo. She still felt bad for what she did and it was adding up to her guilt. She kept on insisting it’s the right thing to do. But if she were to be honest, is that what she really wants? That’s why she realized, she wanted to accept it.

SN: “..S-stupid..”

JH: “Call me what you want, Sana. Just let me be by your side right now. After this, I promise that.. I won’t bug you anymore..”

After some time, Sana reached for her phone and started fiddling on it. Afterwards she showed Jihyo the screen while she looked away, blushing. The older girl opened her schedule for the rest of the day.

SN: “..J-just.. put the money.. on the side.”

Hearing this, Jihyo smiled and placed the payment at the end table beside Sana’s bed. She next handed over the medicine and glass of water she brought with her.

JH: “..Thanks. Now, here. Drink your medicine.”

Sana sat up properly, about to take the medication Jihyo prepared for her. The younger girl then would notice, Sana was still wearing clothes when she probably went out yesterday.

JH: “..You need to get changed to some comfortable clothes, Sana.”

SN: “Umm.. it’s in the drawer to your left.. second one from the top.”

JH: “..Alright. But we-“

Jihyo paused and realized what she had to do for Sana. But she had to. It isn’t something romantic, but more of a need for Sana’s recovery.

JH: “…”

SN: “..What is it, Jihyo?”

JH: “..S-sponge bath.”

SN: “..EH!?”

JH: “W-we need to give you a sponge bath first! Y-you’re all sweaty!”

Sana suddenly got embarrassed. It’s true, she felt all sticky right now with her clothes and needs to wear something better. She doesn’t really have the strength right and can only rely on Jihyo. But now that she knew Jihyo likes her, it felt really awkward for her to expose herself in front of her caretaker.

SN: “Umm.. W-wear a blindfold! Okay?”

JH: “Y-yeah! I will! Definitely! S-sorry..”

Jihyo stood up and got new clothes from Sana’s drawer. It definitely had her scent, much better than the dirty pile of laundry scattered in the living room. She also went to the bathroom and got everything the Japanese girl needed for a sponge bath.

SN: “..There’s a handkerchief on the first drawer. Use that..”

JH: “R-right..”

Jihyo use the handkerchief to cover her eyes.

SN: “..You sure you can’t see me?”

JH: “N-no..”

SN: “..Okay.”

JH: “..Then I’ll start now. Help me a bit..”

Jihyo’s heart started to raise just thinking that the girl that has been driving her crazy is in front of her, taking her clothes off as she was about to help her bathe. This was different from the time in the cabin as this time, Sana was already aware of her feelings. Despite being rejected by her though, they still proceeded.

Sana’s arms were thin and felt fragile for the younger girl, she did her best to be gentle when it comes to scrubbing her so as it won’t hurt the sick girl. After a while, she started to scrub her back and things felt more awkward and tense. If only they were a real couple now, Jihyo wouldn’t hesitate to hug Sana’s small frame. It was quiet. But suddenly, Sana started to say something.

SN: “..Sorry..”

JH: “..Sana?”

SN: “..About last week.”

JH: “Oh..”

Silence filled the air once again. Jihyo herself didn’t know how to reply to such statement. It’s not like she could just say ‘It’s okay! Don’t worry~’ because she’s definitely not okay with it. Maybe right now, she’s fine as long as Sana is okay. Eventually, she’ll get over it. Much like with what happened with Nayeon. The Japanese girl continued.

SN: “Umm.. about Tzuyu..”

Jihyo paused for a bit and tried to listen.

SN: “We’re.. not really a couple..”

This was hard to believe for Jihyo. Perhaps they aren’t a couple now, but it was definitely possible they were before. Still, Jihyo felt that it wasn’t something she wished to know about right now.

JH: “..Enough about her. I don’t want to hear it. I just want to take care of you.”

SN: “..Okay.”

JH: “..Once you’re okay, I’ll try to mind my own business and not be a bother anymore.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Sana was pretty sure she heard what Jihyo said. As much as she wanted to talk about it though, she didn’t have the guts to do so. The younger girl continued to wash and wipe Sana’s sweaty body without them saying anything else.

SN: “Y-you..”

JH: “..Hmm?”

SN: “You can take off the blindfold now..”

JH: “W-what!? B-but we’re.. not done..”

SN: “..It’s fine. I’m.. your girlfriend right now. I shouldn’t.. treat you like that. I trust you anyway.”

Jihyo suddenly got more nervous than ever. She didn’t understand why Sana would suddenly change her mind and think that it would be fine for her to see the rental girlfriend’s bare self. Sana too didn’t understand what got into her, suddenly saying that. She was trying to convince herself that this was all for service as a rental girlfriend. However, it’s not like she’d do this for other clients. Just to Jihyo. And for some reason, she felt it was okay even if she knew Jihyo has feelings for her.

JH: “..O-okay..”

Jihyo slowly took off her blindfold and was soon welcomed by the faint like coming inside the room. There she saw Sana showing her bare back. She cleared her throat and continued doing her task, carefully making sure that her eyes don’t travel to any weird spots. Once she has gotten the hang of it, she had a thought once more. Why did Sana suddenly had this shift? Sure, she was trying to act as the rental girlfriend she booked for the day. However, she doesn’t think Sana would do this for other clients. She doesn’t want to overthink, but maybe this was something Sana was willing to do only for her. While thinking about this, Jihyo suddenly her some rumbling near her.

JH: “..Sana?”

SN: “..I-I’m fine!”

Sana got really embarrassed after making such noise. The younger girl understood that this was Sana’s stomach she was hearing. She likely hasn’t eaten yet.

JH: “..Hehe. I’ll make something for you after this.”

SN: “Y-you don’t have to.. We can just order take out..”

JH: “You need something healthy. I’m not confident with my skills but I can manage.”

SN: “…”

They didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the sponge bath. Eventually, they were finished and Jihyo helped Sana change to her pajamas.

SN: “..Thanks, Jihyo.”

JH: “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, can I use what’s on your fridge? I’ll cook something for you.”

Sana didn’t want to trouble Jihyo any further. After seeing the younger girl take care of her sincerely, she can’t help but feel embarrassed around her, especially when she recently got rejected by her.

SN: “Umm.. I don’t have any. So let’s just order some-“

JH: “I think I saw a grocery store just across the street? I’ll be back real quick.”

SN: “W-wait!”

JH: “You can’t change my mind, Sana. You need homemade food.”

SN: “..That’s not it.”

JH: “..Huh?”

Sana reached to her end table and got her key, then handed it over to Jihyo. She then shyly replied.

SN: “..C-come back quickly. Okay?”

JH: “..Y-yeah”

Jihyo was gone in an instant. Sana felt weird about their current arrangement. If she was the rental girlfriend, wouldn’t it be so that she needs to be the one that makes her client happy? Right now, it felt for her that Jihyo was exerting a lot of effort for her instead. Frustrated, she just laid in bed and kept on thinking about the younger girl.

Meanwhile, Jihyo was under a predicament. She did say she’ll cook something up for Sana. However, her culinary skills was close to an elementary school student. She doesn’t even have an idea what to prepare. She decided to call someone for advice and help. She brought out her phone and messaged someone she knew may be able to help her.

Jihyo:

“Hi, Minari! I need some help. Do you know what’s an easy dish I can make for someone who’s sick?”

Mina checked her phone right after receiving the notification.

MN: “..Eh?”

The shy girl wondered as to who it was that Jihyo was cooking for. She had a hunch though as to who it was.

MN: “..Sa-chan?”

Sana overworked herself going places and meeting clients the entire week. She doesn’t really know why her friend did that. But it can be a good reason why she’s sick. And then she thought, if it’s Sana, how did Jihyo know? Did they already see each other again? Is she at Sana’s place right now? She only had questions rather than answers. Regardless, Mina replied to her.

Mina:

“Who’s sick? You can try making dakjuk. It’s easy to make and light enough for someone to eat. I’ll send you a recipe.”

In a bit, she received a reply.

Jihyo:

“Thanks! It’s Sana. I heard from Momo and I went here because I thought nobody will take care of her.”

Mina was correct that it was Sana. Now that she also knew of the girl’s whereabouts, she thought of visiting her as well.

She had a mix of emotions though. One is that it’s great that they are likely able to make up with each other again despite the rejection. However, she somewhat felt out of place considering that all this made Jihyo do something out of the ordinary, showing that the younger girl still likes Sana a lot. Despite this, she still helped Jihyo and sent her an easy recipe to make dakjuk.

Back at Jihyo.

JH: (Hmm.. this looks easy enough. Time to buy ingredients.)

She entered the grocery and made sure to buy everything she needed for Korean Chicken Rice Porridge. Luckily there wasn’t any line so she could hurry back to Sana. Once she’s back, she made sure to check up on Sana first. Quietly, she peeked through the bedroom door and check on the Japanese girl. She seemed to be resting in bed, which was good to see. The younger girl then proceeded to make Sana’s food.

JH: “Let’s see.. so I should start with the rice and chop the vegetables..”

Jihyo made sure to follow every single bit of detail so as not to make any mistakes. Fortunately, Mina’s instructions were simple to follow and she was able to do well with the dish. After about an hour, she finished and started to plate it, just to make the food more appetizing. Once done, she headed to Sana’s bedroom.

JH: “..Wake up, Sana.”

Sana could smell the faint aroma of the dakjuk as she turned around. She sat up properly and Jihyo placed it on a bed table which Sana had laying around.

SN: “..S-sorry for the trouble, Jihyo..”

JH: “It’s no trouble at all, hehe. Actually this is the first time I made food for someone. I hope it tastes good and you finish it.”

Sana looked at the bowl and grabbed on the spoon, she took one spoonful of the dish as she tried to grasp the flavor.

SN: “..It’s nice and warm.”

Hearing this made Jihyo smile as she was able to make something that Sana really liked. If she could, she would have jumped a lot out of excitement from her reaction but she had to keep her cool for the sick girl’s sake.

JH: “..G-great to hear that! I should thank Minari, hehe.”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “Oh, I asked her what to make for you and suggested that. Her recipe was easy to follow. Wait, I’ll thank her now.”

While Jihyo was messaging Mina, Sana realized that her classmate likely knew that Jihyo was with her right now. This made her feel a bit worried that Mina might overthink things. She did say she wish for them to be back to normal again, but she couldn’t help but worry right now.

SN: “..Y-you can go home now, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “I mean.. I can take care of myself now, hehe. I feel much better thanks to you. You better get some rest.”

JH: “Oh, well I’m glad you’re okay now. But we agreed that it will be the whole day, right?”

SN: “Ah.. y-yeah! I was worried that you’re already tired.”

JH: “I’m not. I actually feel that I can do a lot! Anyway, go ahead and finish your food. I’ll do something first.”

SN: “Ah, w-wait!”

Jihyo went out of her room in an instant not telling Sana that she intents to tidy up Sana’s apartment and do her laundry well, leaving the older girl with her bowl of porridge. Sana’s mind was occupied by the thoughts of her friend and how she is probably feeling right now. She decided to send her a message. As she picked up her phone, she already noticed a message from Mina that was about an hour ago.

Mina:

“Hi, Sa-chan. Are you okay? I heard from Jihyo that you’re sick.”

She already knew, likely because of Jihyo. Sana grew more worried if the situation made Mina feel differently, so she decided to reply as soon as possible.

Sana:

“Hi, Mi-tan! Sorry I was sleeping when you messaged me, hehe. I’m feeling a little better now, thanks to Jihyo. How about you?”

In a bit, she received a reply.

Mina:

“I’m on my way there now.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Sana was surprised. She wasn’t ready for another visitor especially with all the mess in her apartment. And that was when everything began to sink in for her.

Jihyo has seen how disorganized her residence is. This made her somewhat panic and get out of bed to check on the younger girl. As soon as she opened her, she saw Jihyo cleaning up.

SN: “Ah, n-no Jihyo! I-I’ll do it!”

Jihyo turned to face the sick girl.

JH: “Huh? You shouldn’t be up, Sana. Don’t worry. I want to do this for you too.”

SN: “B-but it’s embarrassing! I should be-“

As Sana tried to move towards Jihyo to take all the clothes the younger girl was holding, she lost her balance.

JH: “SANA!”

Jihyo instinctively dropped all the clothes she was holding and rushed to Sana to try to catch and cushion her fall, which she did. The sick girl crashed down on top of her client.

JH: “Whew.. that was close.. are you alright?”

SN: “..Y-yeah..”

Jihyo could feel Sana’s breathing and heartbeat as she herself couldn’t control her own.

JH: “..Y-you’re still pretty warm, Sana. Let’s get you back to bed! I’ll handle things from here.”

SN: “S-sorry..”

Sana couldn’t bring herself up. Not that she couldn’t, but she was as red as a ripe tomato because of their current situation. She can’t help but feel weird because of Jihyo’s actions for her.

??: “Umm..”

JH: “..Huh?”

Sana and Jihyo both looked at the front door only to see that someone close to them saw them laying on top of each other on the floor.

MN: “..I-I’m sorry.. The door was unlocked so I came in. I should’ve knocked first.. Excuse me.”

Mina was flustered with what she saw. She bowed down then attempted to hastily leave.

SN: “Ah.. M-Mi-tan! Wait!”

After chasing her all the way to the elevator, they all went back to Sana’s bedroom. She and Jihyo both explained as to what happened to Mina completely so that she wouldn’t misunderstand.

MN: “S-so that’s what it was..”

SN: “Yeah. Don’t mind it, okay? So why did you come all the way here?”

MN: “Umm.. I was also worried about you. Unnie said you were alone.”

Sana realized that Jihyo hasn’t told Mina about Tzuyu, which was good for her. She didn’t want other issues to come out until she settles things on her own. Jihyo too tried to be careful about it as she felt no one else knows about Tzuyu. It might trouble the Japanese girl if others find out about her.

SN: “Thanks for coming today, hehe. I might be able to come to school tomorrow at this rate.”

JH: “No, you won’t.”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “You need to fully recover. So wait until Tuesday.”

Mina pressed her backhand to Sana’s neck.

MN: “..She’s right. Please rest for at least a day more.”

SN: “..Okay, I will. Thank you both, hehe.”

JH: “Why don’t you talk to Minari first and eat your meal? I’ll go back to cleaning.”

SN: “..B-but it’s embarrassing..”

JH: “It’s fine. Okay? I’ll be back.”

Jihyo left the bedroom to continue with cleaning up.

MN: “Do as she says, Sa-chan.”

SN: “..I will, hehe. Anyway, can you check up on our classes for me tomorrow?”

MN: “Of course. I’ll visit again tomorrow after school.”

SN: “Thanks!”

Sana continued to silently eat while Mina was watching over her. Eventually, the younger girl spoke up.

MN: “..I was surprised that Jihyo-unnie was taking care of you.”

SN: “..Eh?”

MN: “..Are you both okay now?”

SN: “..I don’t know. S-she did come here on her own and insisted that she’d take care of me..”

MN: “..I’m glad that you’re at least able to talk to each other now.”

SN: “..How about you Mi-tan? Have you.. made any progress in confessing to her?”

MN: “..Eh?”

At this point, Mina felt conflicted. The sick girl doesn’t know that she already knew that Jihyo confessed to her and got rejected. With everything that happened so far, she understood that Jihyo still held strong feelings for Sana, feelings that made her feel out of place right now. It also sank down to her the idea that Sana seem fine with Jihyo now, considering how she accepted Jihyo’s persistence to take care of her that day.

MN: “..I don’t think I can, Sa-chan.”

SN: “Why not?”

MN: “..I’m happy as long as she’s happy.”

SN: “That’s not good though, you should think of your own happiness too!”

MN: “..Doesn’t that go for you as well?”

SN: “..Eh?”

MN: “..I think Sa-chan has been very happy when you were being a rental girlfriend for Jihyo-unnie.”

Sana froze as Mina said those words. She realized herself that it was true. It was very fun to be with Jihyo compared to her other clients. When she decided to suddenly end their agreement, she got affected so badly. However, she can’t admit it, as sue was afraid of committing the same mistake she made in the past.

SN: “..I did miss going on dates with her, hehe. But I’ll be.. really happy if you both find true love.”

MN: “..Maybe it’s too early for me to think about those things, Sa-chan. I like Jihyo-unnie, but.. I want to her be happy too. It’s weird, but.. those two things are still different.”

SN: “I understand, Mi-tan. Don’t worry~ Right now, I’m just happy you’re both here for me.”

Mina smiled at her as they seem to both understand each other. Even though she felt conflicted in admitting her feelings to Jihyo, she felt that she has a lot to work on in herself so that the girl she likes would take notice of her.

MN: “..I’ll go help Jihyo-unnie for now. Just tell us when you’re done with your bowl.”

SN: “Okay~ Thank you!”

Mina went out of Sana’s bedroom to join Jihyo in cleaning out the living room. Before the shy girl joined her though, Jihyo found something she didn’t expect. Underneath the telephone in Sana’s apartment, she noticed a curious piece of paper sticking out. She thought it was just part of Sana’s mess, but as she pulled it out, the paper was more than what she imagined it to be.

Tzuyu: +82XXXXXXX

It was Tzuyu’s mobile number, the intimidating girl that she met who claimed that Sana is hers. That was when she had a thought. This girl knows more about Sana, and would probably tell truths about her that she didn’t know.

MN: “..Unnie?”

Jihyo was surprised and would then instinctively take the piece of paper and put it in her pocket. Mina didn’t notice this.

JH: “Oh, h-hi Minari! What is it?”

MN: “I’ll help you out with cleaning.”

JH: “Oh, great! Thanks.”

Jihyo was sweeping the floor while Mina tried to neatly organize the furniture and such. During their time tidying the place up, Jihyo thought of asking the younger girl about a few things she was curious to know.

JH: “..Say, Minari. Can I ask you something?”

MN: “..Eh?”

JH: “Is there anyone else who knows about your and Sana’s part time work? You know, being a rental girlfriend..”

MN: “..Not that I know of.. Except Chan I guess. Chaeyoungie also knows about mine but not Sana’s.”

JH: “I see..” (So she really doesn’t know about that girl Tzuyu..)

This is what Mina said, but she did know about another person who knows about Sana’s part time work. She felt that she wasn’t in the position to say it though.

MN: “..Why do you ask?”

JH: “Ah, n-nothing! Just got curious, hehe. By the way, what was Sana like in the past?”

This was one of the few topics Mina knew she shouldn’t say. She knows truths about it, but felt that it would only hurt Jihyo.

MN: “..I think it’s best to ask her about that personally. Don’t you think?”

JH: “..You’re right, hehe.”

It’s not that Jihyo doesn’t want to ask Sana, but their current status with each other is what’s making it difficult for her to ask about it. She felt that knowing about her past is also really important for her to really understand the older girl. She hoped that Mina could talk about it, but she didn’t.

MN: “..Anyway, it’s getting late. Have you had dinner yet?”

JH: “Oh, right! I haven’t actually. I’ve been busy here.”

Mina hesitated for a bit, but then took out a what looked like a boxed meal inside her bag she brought with her on the way to Sana’s apartment. She nervously handed this over to Jihyo.

MN: “Umm.. h-here.. for you..”

JH: “..W-what?”

MN: “..Before coming here, I thought that you might have not had a meal yet.. So I made you one too.. Sa-chan’s is in here as well..”

Jihyo slowly took it from Mina’s hand and she smiled.

JH: “..You’re really considerate, Minari. Thanks a lot!”

Mina smiled and nodded happily seeing how Jihyo appreciated her efforts as well. In a bit, they heard Sana call from her bedroom.

SN: “Mi-tan~ I’m done here~”

MN: “..I’ll tend to our hyper patient for a bit, hehe.”

JH: “Okay. I’ll go hang all of Sana’s washed clothes.”

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Sana’s apartment was good as new again and she was feeling better than before. The time was already 8:30pm. Mina was about to leave as she still has a few things to finish for school tomorrow.

MN: “..Remember, stay in bed for tomorrow and don’t overwork anymore. I’ll drop by after classes.”

SN: “Yes yes. Thanks for visiting too!”

JH: “Take care, Minari.”

MN: “..Eh? You’re not going home yet?”

JH: “..Just got a few more things to wrap up before I go.”

MN: “..Okay. See you.”

Mina went ahead and left Sana’s apartment. Honestly, she wanted to leave with Jihyo at the same time, so that they can both walk home together even for just a few minutes before separating ways. However, she didn’t want to make it too obvious as it might make it awkward for them. With Mina leaving, Jihyo turned to Sana and received her full attention.

JH: “..How are you feeling now?”

SN: “Much better thanks to both of you, hehe. So what do you still have to do?”

JH: “..N-nothing, really.. I just have thirty minutes more and.. I want to make the most out of it.”

SN: “Oh..”

Jihyo and Sana both returned to the latter’s bedroom who also tucked herself in to rest early. Jihyo sat down beside the bed just waiting for the time to pass.

Things started to get more awkward now as they are reminded of the rift they had last week around the same particular time. The younger girl wish for them to go back to the same particular set up with them pretending to be dating.

JH: “Umm.. I’m glad that you’re much better now.”

SN: “..T-thanks a lot.. hehe. I guess time is almost up. It felt like you’re the rental girlfriend today instead of me. You took care of me so well~”

Suddenly, Jihyo looked straight into Sana’s eyes, embarrassing the sick girl with her actions.

JH: “..Sana.”

SN: “Y-yeah?”

JH: “..I’m sorry for suddenly surprising you last time..”

Sana didn’t expect Jihyo to bring up this topic right now, as she thought this was still a painful thing for her to talk about.

SN: “Y-you don’t have to apologize! I should be the one saying sorry here.. I tried to push you away even if you wanted to take care of me today..”

JH: “..I deserve it for being stupid.”

SN: “You’re not..”

JH: “..After tonight, we’ll just continue as if we.. broke up..”

SN: “…”

Sana wanted to reply, but she couldn’t. She knew that if she said anything else, their situation will end up becoming worse. That was until Jihyo continued what she had to say.

JH: “..And I’ll do my best to avoid you from tomorrow onwards.”

SN: “..Eh? Y-you don’t have to!”

JH: “No, Sana. I can’t help but feel responsible as to why you pushed yourself so much this week.. It would be weird if we.. start hanging out normally again, even if everyone knew we broke up..”

It was partly true. Sana wanted to distract herself and focus on being a rental girlfriend. She couldn’t focus at all before right after Jihyo confessed to her. However, Jihyo was not the only reason she did all of that.

SN: “..I’m.. I’m not ready..”

JH: “..Huh?”

SN: “..To be.. in a relationship.”

Silence filled the air as Sana’s words continued to echo to Jihyo. The younger girl never thought she’d hear anymore from Sana about it.

SN: “..That girl, Tzuyu.. it’s my fault that.. she’s like that.. She’s one of the reasons why.. I can’t.”

It was clearly something related to Sana’s past. However, Jihyo still remained clueless about it.

JH: “..What happened to both of you?”

And there it was. Jihyo asked her as she wanted to know about the Sana she didn’t know ever since meeting her. There was a long silence between the two of them, until Sana replied.

SN: “..I’m sorry, Jihyo. I can’t tell you.. If I talk about it, then your opinion about me.. will change.”

Sana’s alarm started to ring as it was already 9pm, the end of Jihyo’s booking. Jihyo didn’t respond for a minute, as Sana grew more anxious as to how the younger girl will react.

JH: “..I understand, Sana. I won’t ask you anymore. But I want you to hear me out too.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Jihyo stood up as she was about to pick up her bag and finally leave.

JH: “I believe that the Sana now.. is the real Sana. Whoever you may be in the past.. is what makes you who you are right now, the Sana that I fell in love with.”

Jihyo’s words struck Sana like a jolt of lightning. She wished for these words to be true, as she’s still hiding from her sins in the past. She was even more afraid now of losing someone who may believe in her no matter who she may have been before.

The younger girl got her bag, looked at Sana with a faint smile on her face.

JH: “..Thank you for letting me take care of you today, Sana.. Maybe one day.. things will become much better for us.”

As soon as Jihyo turned around to and started to move to hide her face that was about to cry again, Sana immediately grabbed on her shirt tightly making the younger girl stop.

SN: “W-wait..”

Sana was blushing hard which Jihyo thought was just her fever rising again.

JH: “..A-are you okay?”

SN: “Y-yeah! B-but.. I mean..”

Jihyo was confused with how Sana was not making sense. Finally, she regained her composure and responded.

SN: “..W-wait for me..”

JH: “W-what do you mean?”

SN: “..Once I settle my past, then..”

Sana couldn’t continue any further with what she wanted to say. However, Jihyo in a way understood part of it. She gave her a gentle smile and replied.

JH: “..It’s okay, Sana. Take all the time you need. I also.. want to discover more about myself too..”

That was when Sana realized something.

SN: “..Thank you..”

JH: “Guess I’ll get going then.”

SN: “C-can I ask for.. one last favor?”

She took the money Jihyo gave her as rental payment at the end table and handed it back to her.

JH: “..W-what? Why are you returning this to me?”

SN: “N-no.. I’m not returning this to you..”

Sana shyly looked at Jihyo in the eyes as she made her request.

SN: “I.. I’d like to rent you.. P-please stay with me.. I.. don’t want to be alone tonight..”

Sana realized she was starting to develop feelings for Jihyo.


	15. The Entanglement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With newly developed feelings in play, relationships become more complicated with conflicts between what one wants, and what one believes is right.

JH: “..W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?”

SN: “I.. I don’t feel completely fine yet! That’s why.. maybe.. you know..”

It was definitely a big surprise for Jihyo. She did not know how to react. Of course, this might sound like Sana hinting that she likes her. However, they just had that conversation earlier. Assuming things like that might end up hurting her yet again. What she was afraid of as well was that she might not hold herself back and do something stupid again.

JH: “B-but I’m not a rental girlfriend! And I have classes tomorrow you know..”

SN: “..You class tomorrow starts late right? I remember your Monday schedule..”

JH: “R-right..”

Sana looked at her with puppy eyes as she pleaded.

SN: “..Aren’t you worried that my fever will get worse?”

..What am I saying?

Sana herself could not understand what she was trying to do. Her heart has been beating faster than before, and as if she just really wants Jihyo to stay. The words coming out of her mouth was something she couldn’t control. She’s becoming more and more attached to Jihyo. Someone who just started as a client, then a friend, and now a partner?

JH: “A-alright already! But keep your money, okay? I’ll just stay the night. No need to act as your.. girlfriend.. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable..”

It was definitely true. She likes Jihyo now more than just a client. She could feel butterflies inside her stomach just from the thought of having her stay the night. However, this action of hers still left her conflicted. She wasn’t sure if she’s already doing the right thing, as there are still several things the should focus on, things that she doesn’t want Jihyo to know.

SN: “..T-thank you.. Umm.. you can get spare clothes in my closet..”

JH: “Okay..”

The younger girl could have been in an all time high right now. But still, she shouldn’t misinterpret this gesture from the Japanese girl she admires. Trying to get this out of her mind, she went to Sana’s closet and borrowed a pair of her clothing, and headed straight to the bathroom to get changed.

Jihyo couldn’t lie though, she could smell Sana’s scent lingering in the piece of wardrobe, and it smelled so good. Before she starts fantasizing even further though, she tried to regain her focus and changed her clothing, reminding herself that she’s staying there not to cuddle, but to watch over Sana so that she could recover soon.

Jihyo returns to Sana’s side shortly after.

JH: “..Uhh, t-thanks for this..”

SN: “N-no problem! I should be the one thanking you.. for staying.”

What followed afterwards was an awkward silence. Both Sana and Jihyo didn’t know what to talked about. As the sick girl tried to look at her, her eyes started to travel around places she shouldn’t. Her clothes weren’t really Jihyo’s size, and this highlighted the younger girl’s features a lot.

JH: “..W-what’s wrong, Sana?”

The younger girl noticed her looking.

SN: “Ah.. I-it’s nothing! S-sorry.. Maybe we should sleep now, hehe.”

That’s when one more thing sank in for the two. Where will Jihyo exactly sleep?

SN: “I-I HAVE AN EXTRA MATTRESS! Y-YEAH! It should be over there!”

JH: “Y-yeah! G-got it! Wait a sec.”

If they were being honest right there, both girls were disappointed. But of course, Jihyo does not want to be misunderstood, and Sana doesn’t want Jihyo herself to get infected by her sickness. This is the right thing to do.

Jihyo finished placing down the extra mattress on the floor right beside Sana’s bed along with a pillow and a blanket. There wasn’t much to talk about, and Jihyo wanted to make sure that Sana sleeps early so she could recover faster.

JH: “Umm.. just tap me if you need something.”

SN: “Y-yeah! Thanks for staying, Jihyo.”

JH: “..G-goodnight!”

Both girls turned to the opposite side looking away from the other. They had nothing else to talk about, for now. But still, it was great that things are looking fine for the both of them. Despite saying their good nights, the two had a particularly difficult time sleeping as it was a strange situation that they were in. After about an hour or so, Jihyo was finally able to sleep, but Sana couldn’t. After hearing Jihyo somewhat snore, she turned around to look at the younger girl. Her back was facing her, as she remembered last week when they slept on the same bed as she was back hugging her. Now that she thought about it, that moment became so embarrassing for her just thinking about it now. She turned around once again trying to not get distracted and get some sleep so that she can get back to normal soon.

Eventually, Sana was able to sleep. However, she had a dream, but more like a nightmare. Images of her past came back haunting her, especially when she saw someone like Tzuyu again. Memories came back haunting her which would eventually wake her up. Immediately after doing so, she looked to her side to check on Jihyo. She’s gone. Her mattress was no longer there, and as Sana checked the time on her phone, the younger girl likely had to go back already to her place and get ready for school. She also saw a note which was beside her phone.

Good morning, Sana. I had to go back to my place to get ready. I cooked something up for you for breakfast. Just heat it up and eat when you wake up. I’ll go back to your place once I’m done. Take care of yourself.

Jihyo

And that’s that. Nothing happened between them that evening, but maybe it was just Sana hoping that Jihyo would make a move. In a way though, she’s glad that the younger girl didn’t. The old her might have, but not anymore. She slowly got up from bed and headed to the kitchen to eat the food prepared by Jihyo. Everything looked nice. It was neat around her as if things were back to normal. She did understand though that if she doesn’t do anything about her situation, it will end up as a mess again. And worst, she might end up hurting Jihyo once more.

Back at the younger girl, she was able to get back to her place and prepare everything she needed for school on that day. Of course, Jihyo could not believe what happened. She stayed over Sana’s place and did all of those things just for her. Now though, everything was over. It’s not as if that was an instant spell for the both of them to start fake dating again. It was something they didn’t discuss. Even more so, it’s not something that they should talk about now.

There was one thing in Jihyo’s mind as she headed to her class though. What did Sana mean about waiting to settle things in her past? Is it something that she could possibly help her resolve? Or is getting involved with it going to make things worse? Regardless, she knew who Sana’s past would be connected to: Tzuyu.

Jihyo finally arrived at her classroom with a bit of extra time to spare. As Jeongyeon saw her, the older girl approached the girl in deep thought.

JY: “Hey, Jihyo.”

JH: “..Huh? Oh h-hi! What’s up?”

JY: “..I guess you’re back together?”

JH: “W-what!? Wait what makes you say that?”

JY: “You didn’t go back to your apartment last night.”

Jihyo was surprised to know that Jeongyeon knew that she didn’t return to her place yesterday

JH: “..H-how did you know?”

JY: “Nayeon wanted to check on you. She waited for you to return until around midnight or so, which you apparently didn’t do.”

JH: “..She did?”

JY: “Yeah. I told her to go home around 10pm, but she was pretty stubborn about it.”

JH: “…”

Jihyo started to feel guilty just knowing about it. She wanted to check up on her as Nayeon was probably feeling bad when she left without accomplishing anything.

JY: “..Anyway, you still didn’t answer my question.”

JH: “..Huh? N-no, I mean.. it’s because..”

Jihyo didn’t honestly know what to say, as much as she wanted to declare they are ‘dating’ again, she was left with no clue about how they would go from there.

In addition to that, she might end up hurting Sana again if she would assume such a thing. This is why she came up with such answer.

JH: “..I don’t know.”

JY: “..What?”

JH: “I just took care of her because she was sick. Nothing more than that. I did kind of forced myself in convincing her that I’ll just be there to help her out..”

JY: “Oh..”

JH: “..So I don’t know what comes after that.”

JY: “..Well I’m glad you’re both talking to each other again in a way.”

JH: “Yeah..”

As they continued their day, Jihyo mostly had thoughts of Nayeon doing just that last night. She wanted to get over with the day so that she can talk to her and apologize. After her classes, she went straight to the older girl’s classroom and waited in front.

Jeongyeon had other plans that day so she let Jihyo do all the talking to her. In about ten minutes or so, Nayeon’s classes were done and she headed out of her classroom, spotting Jihyo waiting for her.

NY: “Oh, Jihyo. What are you doing here?”

JH: “Uhh.. just wanted to talk for a bit.”

NY: “..Alright. Follow me.”

Nayeon brought Jihyo to the nearest restroom in their building to talk privately.

NY: “..So, what is it?”

JH: “W-well, I just wanted to apologize to you.. for making you wait last night.”

NY: “It’s okay. I’m willing to do anything for you, Jihyo.”

After a brief moment of silence, Nayeon continued.

NY: “..So what happened?”

JH: “Nothing, really.. I just took care of her and.. slept over. She should be fine today.”

NY: “I know what happened between the two of you.. Are you two ‘dating’ again?”

JH: “N-no, we’re not!”

Nayeon started to look at Jihyo with doubts in her eyes as the latter tried to look away from her. The older girl moved closer cornering Jihyo on the wall.

NY: “..I know what you’re thinking, Jihyo. However, you need to remember that she’s just a rental girlfriend. She won’t get into a real relationship. The girl you see when you’re with Sana is an ideal girl, an image created to satisfy your longing.”

JH: “…”

It may be hard to swallow, but there was only truth from Nayeon’s words. She needs to wake up. She doesn’t even know about who Sana is beyond the rental girlfriend image. And even if she tried to find out, there’s no guarantee she can accept her as that person, and no guarantee that they will become a couple. Maybe it’s just her, but the younger girl did feel she has been limiting herself with only Sana.

NY: “..You have me, Jihyo. There’s no need to hurt yourself anymore..”

Right now, in front of her, was the girl she held strong feelings for before. Her first love, Im Nayeon. This time though, when she did let go of those emotions, the older girl admitted the feelings she tried to hide as well. That’s why now she thought, is it too late to go back? She can definitely get into a real relationship, but would she lie to herself now just to end all the pain she has been going through? Nayeon loves her, and she really shows it.

JH: “Umm.. I have to go now! Part-time work!”

Nayeon backed out for a bit so Jihyo can go on ahead and leave. Just as the younger girl was exiting the door, the older girl said something to her again.

NY: “..I only want the best for you. And I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

JH: “…”

After hearing Nayeon’s words, Jihyo did not look back and headed off to her job. Nayeon was left there feeling guilty that Jihyo wouldn’t even try looking at her anymore, just because she hurt her before. It was as of she was the one getting denied now, and it was really painful, much like the feeling she made the young girl experience. She was definitely frustrated, but this made her even more determined to take Jihyo out of the loophole she was trying to enter once again.

Jihyo arrived at her part-time work and proceeded to business as usual. She wanted to get over the day as soon as possible and also requested a time cut that day which was approved. This was just because she wanted to check up on Sana as soon as possible.

While Jihyo was working though, Sana already had a visitor drop by. She knocked on the door as she arrived.

SN: “Come in~ It’s open.”

The door opened and there came in Sana’s friend and classmate, Myoui Mina.

MN: “How are you, Sa-chan? I’ve brought some fruits today.”

SN: “I’m fine! You didn’t have to. I’m feeling much better after a good rest.”

Mina dropped by as she too as worried about Sana’s condition. Besides this point, it was also to inform Sana about the things she missed at school as well as to borrow some of her notes during the discussions that day. The younger girl also checked up on Sana’s condition. Her temperature was back to normal and looked much livelier than yesterday.”

MN: “Looks like you can go back to school tomorrow.”

SN: “It’s thanks to both you and Jihyo~”

Mina looked around the place and everything looked neat. However, there was one thing she noticed upon arriving, there was one pot of food that was in the kitchen. Sana wasn’t likely to cook and that would only mean it was Jihyo.

It wasn’t likely though that the girl she liked came all the way there in the morning, leading her to make a guess that she stayed for the night.

MN: “..Did Jihyo-unnie sleep over?”

SN: “Ah, y-yeah! S-she kind of wanted to stay over to check up on me! Hehe..”

..What did I just say? S-sorry, Mi-tan..

Sana didn’t mean to suddenly lie to Mina. She could have told the truth, but also felt that if she was the one who asked Jihyo to stay over, she might overthink. There’s no overthinking about it though. Now that she realized she likes Jihyo just like Mina does, she doesn’t know if she can say it to her friend. It was probably less painful to hear for her, as Mina knew about Jihyo’s lingering feelings.

MN: “I see.. I’ll clean up your plates. Please rest a bit more.”

SN: “Umm.. t-thanks..”

As Mina washed the dishes, Sana was sitting on the sofa looking at her, realizing the dilemma she’s in. They both like the same girl, and she does value Mina’s source of happiness. The older girl was still the early phase of realizing these feelings she had, and understood that she should suppress them, for Mina’s sake.

On the other hand, the other girl had her fair share of thoughts tool. She didn’t expect that Jihyo would stay over last night. Perhaps it was the reason she stayed behind instead of walking home together with her. In a way, she felt that there’s really no room for her. Yet her friend’s really supportive of her. She doesn’t know what to do.

Meanwhile, back at Seodaemun district was Chaeyoung, walking along the streets of downtown as she had to buy some art supplies for her next plate. As she looked to one alley to her right, she saw someone that she hasn’t seen for a while.

The girl was in a corner, secluded from the rest of society as she was tending to some puppies that were inside an opened box. The short girl approached this person slowly and talked to her.

CY: “..I haven’t seen you for quite awhile, Tzuyu.”

TY: “…”

Tzuyu continued to rub the puppy’s ears while it was eating a treat that she gave, not responding to the familiar voice she heard just now.

CY: “..Are they abandoned?”

TY: “..Maybe.”

CY: “Why don’t you adopt them?”

TY: “..My apartment building.. doesn’t allow pets.”

CY: “..Then maybe send them to an animal shelter.”

TY: “..I don’t trust people.”

Chaeyoung let out a deep breath, seeing how much Tzuyu has changed over the past year. The taller but younger girl was a very happy person when they met each other. However, unfortunate events happened which completely changed her. At the very least, she’s glad that Tzuyu still has a soft spot for animals, the only time ever since that she can see her smile.

CY: “..Wanna hang out?”

TY: “..No. You’re probably out to buy art supplies. Don’t bother.”

CY: “..I’m just worried about you, Tzuyu.. Much like everyone else. Won’t you.. come back to the archery club?”

After hearing Chaeyoung’s question, Tzuyu stopped playing with the puppy. She stood up and turned around, staring down at the shorter girl before replying.

TY: “.. If you see me again in the future and ask me the same thing, don’t bother. My answer is still the same.”

Tzuyu passed the shorter girl as she was already set on leaving. Before she could go though, Chaeyoung stopped her.

CY: “W-wait!”

The shorter girl turned around to ask her one more thing.

CY: “..How about tomorrow we hang out? I have some free time and you probably do too.”

Chaeyoung was persistent. This wasn’t the first time she asked Tzuyu about these things. In fact, she was the only one left who kept on checking up on her. She did try to hang out with her a few times, just for the sake of not being bothered for some time in the future. After pausing for a bit, the taller girl replied.

TY: “..Fine. But don’t expect me to come back to the club.”

CY: “..I understand. Then let’s meet here again tomorrow. Same time.”

Tzuyu didn’t bother replying and just walked away. Despite this though, she knew the agreement was set as the younger girl never broke a promise before.

Meanwhile, back at Jihyo, she was already done for the day’s work as with her requested time cut.

MM: “I’m coming with you, Jihyo-ssi. Hehe.”

JH: “Wait. Are you done today too?”

MM: “I worked extra hours yesterday so the boss said it’s fine.”

JH: “Alright.”

They both headed to Sana’s apartment hoping to see the girl all bright and well again. After a few minutes of travelling, they arrived and rang the doorbell. Mina opened the door for them.

JH: “Ah, you’re here already Mina!”

MN: “Hi, unnie, Momoring.”

MM: “Where’s Sa-tan?”

MN: “In her room, we were chatting just now. Come in.”

They all entered Sana’s room who was already back to her usual energetic self.

SN: “Ah, Jihyo! Momoring! Thanks for stopping by~”

MM: “You look like you’re fine now, hehe.”

JH: “Glad to see you’re back to your old self.”

The four of them started to catch up with how things were going. Eventually, it was already time for dinner.

MM: “I’ll cook dinner tonight~ but can you girls buy some extra ingredients for me?”

MN: “Eh? S-sure..”

JH: “Alright.”

Momo listed down everything she needed on a piece of paper and handed it over. Mina and Jihyo both left the apartment to do some quick shopping. Sana and Momo were left alone.

SN: “What are you making?”

MM: “You’ll see, hehe. Anyway! There’s something I wanna ask you.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Sana wasn’t so sure, but she felt that whatever’s happening right now was all set up by Momo so that she could talk to her in private. Soon enough, she realized her intuition was right.

MM: “..So I heard Jihyo slept with you last night, hehe.”

SN: “N-NO! N-not with me! She.. slept over!”

MM: “I get it, haha. No need to be shy. So, are you two back together?”

And there it was. Sana was surprised though that news came out that Jihyo stayed over at her place. It was bound to happen though, now that they are both in the same circle of friends. Not knowing what to say, Sana just said whatever came naturally to her mind.

SN: “..M-maybe? Hehe..”

MM: “Eh? What do you mean by that?”

SN: “..I-I don’t know! I just.. well.. it depends, r-right?”

Momo noticed that Sana was blushing.

MM: “Ohh! I get it, hehe. You’re shy to admit that you wanna get back with her. You’re really turning red you know.”

SN: “..Eh?”

Sana couldn’t control herself and realized it too. She wanted to go back to her previous arrangement with Jihyo as her ‘girlfriend’. However, this was no longer a business matter. Now, it was because she liked that feeling as if they were a real couple.

Meanwhile, Jihyo and Mina were both at the grocery buying a few ingredients Momo requested. During their browsing, Mina thought of asking Jihyo a question.

MN: “..Unnie.”

JH: “Yeah?”

MN: “..Did you stay over at Sa-chan’s place last night?”

Surprised, Jihyo almost lost her balance while they were walking and tried to compose herself.. The older girl remembered that she left Mina walking home on her own as she greedily wanted to use up all her time with Sana that night.

JH: “Y-yeah! B-but I didn’t mean to! I was gonna leave at 9pm..”

MN: “..Eh? So why did you stay?”

JH: “W-well, Sana asked me to..”

Mina didn’t expect this as she realized, Sana lied to her. She thought that it was Jihyo who insisted staying over, but Sana was the one who really pushed it. It would have been fine if Sana just told her the truth, but now the young girl wondered why would her friend lie about such a thing?

MN: “..It’s nice that Sa-chan fully recovered.”

JH: “Y-yeah..”

They both continued with their shopping and quickly returned to Sana’s apartment. Momo started cooking dinner and Jihyo helped her co-worker out. While they were busy with preparing dinner, Mina helped out Sana catch up from what she missed at school. During this time, the shy girl was tempted to ask Sana about what she learned earlier, but hesitated as she knew asking about it may end up in misunderstanding things. After some time, Momo and Jihyo finished with cooking and they all had dinner.

SN: “Wow.. is this Tonkatsu? It looks so yummy~”

MM: “Yup! Hehe. I’ve been trying to learn some recipes while working. Try it out~”

All of them took a bite on their meal.

MN: “Wow.. it’s very tender. The breading is also nice.”

SN: “It’s delicious!”

MM: “Right? Hehe. Jihyo-ssi helped me with that so she deserves credit too.”

JH: “N-no, I barely helped.”

Sana and Mina looked at Jihyo who turned her face away out of embarrassment. She didn’t notice that the two girls were blushing a bit as they spoke.

SN: “T-thank you too, Jihyo!”

MN: “Umm.. it was really nice..”

Momo was the one who noticed the somewhat change in attitude from the two as she felt that something was up. She understood that Sana would be like that since they were lovers before. However, Mina was the one that surprised her.

MM: “Hooo~ that’s interesting.”

Sana turned to Momo out of curiosity.

SN: “What’s interesting?”

MM: “Nothing~ Anyway, let’s chow!”

They spent the next few minutes eating and chatting with a pleasant atmosphere. It was really nice. Sana never thought she’d have this kind of environment in her apartment with all the people she treasures a lot. This made her realize that she really needs to fix all her past mistakes first so that she can move forward peacefully. They washed the dishes after dinner and it was already time for the guests to leave. Mina then thought again, would Jihyo stay behind like yesterday?

MM: “We’re heading home now! You better go to the university tomorrow.”

SN: “Of course I will!”

MN: “See you in class then, Sa-chan.”

JH: “..Goodnight.”

As the three girls were about to leave and turned their backs, Sana remembered what the older girl talked to her about. She didn’t realize but she involuntarily spoke.

SN: “W-wait!”

The three turned around to look at Sana once again.

MM: “..Eh?”

SN: “C-can I.. talk to Jihyo for a bit?”

JH: “W-what? Umm, sure..”

As Jihyo walked back a bit to talk to Sana, Mina then didn’t realize what she just said.

MN: “..Is it something private between the two of you?”

Not only was Sana surprised, but Mina as well didn’t know what came to her, somewhat sounding doubtful about what she knows about her friend and infatuation’s current status. Plus, the different stories coming from both individuals wasn’t helping. This lead to her trying to save what she just blurted out.

MN: “Umm.. I mean.. you can just talk here..”

SN: “W-well, we’ll just talk over there, hehe. It’ll be quick~”

Clueless, Jihyo just followed Sana’s lead as she doesn’t know what it is about. Still, this private talk somewhat made her nervous. They walked for a few meters away from Mina and Momo who were waiting for them from a short distance. As soon as they were at a decent range where their conversation can’t be heard, Sana talked.

SN: “Umm.. first off, thanks for.. last night.”

The older girl tried to hide her embarrassment as she recalled what she just did last night.

JH: “Y-you’re welcome, hehe.”

SN: “..I just felt that I haven’t had a chance to talk to you today in private.”

JH: “..I guess that’s true..”

Of course this was one of the things Sana wanted to say to Jihyo. However, there was something else in her mind that bothered her. She understood that it was too awkward to ask to her former client, but if she doesn’t, she might not have another chance again before everything falls apart.

SN: “S-so.. what are we now?..”

JH: “..Huh?”

Jihyo didn’t get what Sana meant at first, as she can’t believe it was the Japanese beauty that brought up such topic, a topic that she should be the one asking her former rental girlfriend.

SN: “I mean.. d-do we have to.. do it again? I mean.. the pretend couple..”

The more Sana tried to talk about it, the more she was losing the words to express herself. It was embarrassing for her, as she herself can’t admit that it was also her who wanted it to happen again.

Jihyo too was at a loss for words. If Sana went back to becoming her rental girlfriend, what would it mean? She knows about her feelings, and isn’t it too awkward now? That’s why she wanted to know more.

JH: “..Umm, why?”

SN: “W-well.. they know we were in a relationship and all.. and they knew that.. you slept here last night.”

JH: “R-right..”

Jihyo thought long and hard as to what would be the right answer here. Of course there’s nothing else in the world that could make her happy if they started ‘dating’ again. However, would that be the right thing to do now? That is why despite her strong urges of saying yes, she gave a different response.

JH: “W-well, you don’t have to force yourself you know..”

SN: “..Eh?”

JH: “I mean.. m-maybe we can do it slowly? Y-you know.. like trying to get along again.. we might be able to find a better way.. like hang out but not.. ‘dating’.. I think.”

Jihyo believed this was necessary, especially if she wanted to respect Sana’s request. Plus she didn’t want to trouble her former ‘girlfriend’ too much already.

SN: “..Y-yeah! I guess you’re right, hehe. Thanks for understanding, Jihyo..”

Sana understood where Jihyo is coming from. But of course she couldn’t help but feel disappointed about it as well, now that she secretly has feelings for her former client. Besides this, she can see Mina on their side waiting who she also didn’t want to get hurt if suddenly she learned about her liking Jihyo as well. She knows her personality and would likely give way for her instead and give up on Jihyo. If they weren’t friends though, it would be a different story. Meanwhile, as Sana and Jihyo were chatting, Momo and Mina were as well.

MN: “..What do you think they’re talking about?”

MM: “..Maybe about getting back together?”

MN: “..Eh?”

MM: “Well, I talked to Sa-tan earlier and she gave hints that she’s open to that possibility, you know?”

Mina suddenly paused and tried to process what she just heard from her other Japanese friend. First, Sana lied about Jihyo being the one insisting to stay over. Now, she learned from Momo about this possibility of ‘getting back’ with Jihyo, which also

meant continuing being in a pretend relationship as her rental girlfriend. But why? As Mina questioned this, she only arrived at one possible answer.

MN: (..Does Sa-chan.. also like Jihyo-unnie?)

Whatever she could think of, the bottom line was that and she can’t think of anything else, leaving her spaced out for some time. She then was unable to realize that Sana and Jihyo were already close to them.

JH: “Sorry it took a while. Let’s head home now.”

SN: “Take care of Mi-tan for me, okay?”

MN: “..Eh?”

MM: “You’re daydreaming Mi-tan. Let’s go now~”

The three girls left, and as they disappeared from Sana’s sight, the Japanese girl’s smile faded away, as she felt conflicted about what she wanted and what she believed in. Knowing that she had to face them all again tomorrow made it stressful for her.

The following day came and Sana made her return to her school, bringing with her that infectious smile she always had that can easily make anyone be charmed by her. As she arrived in class, Mina saw her and greeted her with a smile, making herself feel relieved that her younger friend seem to be fine. The day continued until it was lunch time when something strange happened. Sana approached Mina as soon as their lunch break started.

SN: “Mi-tan~ let’s go to the garden now!”

MN: “Umm, sorry.. I need to do something today. Maybe next time?”

Before Sana could ask Mina about it, the shy girl took her bag and hastily walked out of the room.

SN: “Ah.. she’s gone now.”

This was particularly a strange thing for her as Mina never really had anything else to do and would always have lunch with her. Experiencing this made Sana worry a bit if there was something wrong that she did.

SN: (..Why do I feel something big is about to happen?)

Meanwhile, as soon as Mina moved herself away a fair distance that Sana wouldn’t be able to know where she went, she stopped. In fact, she had nothing else to do that time. Mina didn’t want to talk too much with Sana that day, as she still felt uncomfortable about the things that happened yesterday. Sana lying to her made her feel that a certain borderline was set between the two of them when it comes to Jihyo, one that didn’t exist before. Slowly, a rift between two close friends was starting to appear.

Meanwhile, Jihyo just continued with her classes as usual. However, she was in a much better mood ever since what happened yesterday. She hasn’t messaged Sana yet. However, she knew that everything between them was much better than last week. She also wondered if she booked Sana again on this weekend, would everything be the same as before?

MM: “I told you not to come here on weekdays! What if she unexpectedly drops by?”

??: “She won’t be for at least one more hour. Don’t worry. I know her schedule too.”

MM: “But still!”

Curiosity got the better of Jihyo as she entered the place, only to see Momo talking with a woman she never met before. The Japanese girl immediately noticed Jihyo’s entry.

MM: “AH! J-JIHYO-SSI!”

JH: “Uhh, hi. What’s going on?”

The other girl turned around to look at Jihyo and made eye contact with the latter. She was pale white and definitely very beautiful as well, carrying an appealing aura that could easily befriend anyone. She smiled at Jihyo and looked very happy as if she was there to actually meet her.

MM: “W-well, I’m just talking with her. HAHA! Why don’t you go now? We’ll chat again later after my shift, okay? I’ll get back to you once I’m done.

The short girl didn’t move an inch though, as she said something that really made things strange for Jihyo.

??: “What are you talking about? Honestly, I wanted to meet her really soon and today was a good chance to do so.”

JH: “..Huh? Meet me?”

The new girl in front of her turned to her direction once more and smiled as if she’s trying to be friendly with her already.

??: “So you’re Jihyo. Ah, I’m sorry. I guess I should be calling you unnie as well. I heard about you from Momo-unnie. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Jihyo herself suddenly became nervous just from the fact that the girl knew about her

JH: “..Umm, hi. I’m sorry but may I know your name?”

What followed then would change everything that Jihyo knew. Things that she didn’t expect would be truths she wished to know and lead to questions that made her think about the things that she currently knew about. A fateful encounter.

DH: “My name’s Kim Dahyun. I am Sana’s ex-girlfriend.”


	16. The Past Relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihyo meets Sana's Ex-Girlfriend. Mina's trust is being tested. Tzuyu gets more and more involved with everyone else. Sana's past being revealed.

It was as if  everything Jihyo knew came crashing down as she was given  an answer to the question she always wanted to know about . Firstly, she finally was able to know that Sana had a relationship with another girl.  The difficult part of this though, is that it lead her to questions she didn’t expect. This girl in front of her was smiling. Does this mean something? Did they have a proper closure? However, she did hear from her conversation with Momo that the latter didn’t want Dahyun to accidentally see Sana today. Does  Sana know about the white girl meeting with  her friend? However, there was definitely one question she  had in her mind that bothered her the most.  Who exactly is Tzuyu and what was her relationship with Sana?

** JH: “H-hi! P-Park Jihyo ** **.. Umm why did you exactly want to meet me?” **

** DH: “Your shift is still fifteen minutes from now, right? Can we talk  ** ** for a bit over there?” **

** JH: “ ** ** Y-yeah! Okay..” **

Ever since meeting  the tall girl, she always thought that for her to behave like th at towards Sana, they were likely a couple before. However, meeting Dahyun , Sana’s ex-girlfriend made things  ever  more mysterious than ever. Before, she didn’t mind knowing. But now, she wanted to more than ever. Her talk with Dahyun might make her know about everything that has happened in the past. They both sat down by the corner as Momo had a look of concern to both of them from a distance , two women who both had a relationship with Sana.

** JH: “So.. you said you wanted to meet me?” **

** DH: “Yeah! I always wondered what kind of person  ** ** was Sana’s next girlfriend.  ** ** You’re really pretty, unnie.” **

** JH: “T-thanks ** **..  ** ** Y-you’re really pretty too you know ** **!” **

Of course, Jihyo knew her relationship with Sana was all just pretending. Dahyun’s, however , was real. This made her realize what type of girl is really Sana’s type.

** DH: “So I heard from Momo-unnie  ** ** she ** ** broke up with  ** ** you ** **..” **

Just basing it on Dahyun’s opener, she wasn’t sure if the pale-skinned girl  knew about Sana working as a rental girlfriend. Since she was in contact with Momo, she doesn’t think that Dahyun knew that  her relationship with Sana was all just an act.

** JH: “..Yeah.” **

** DH: “Why?” **

That was then that Jihyo realized, she and Sana haven’t talked about it. She didn’t know what to say to the younger girl in front of her .

** JH: “.. ** ** I don’t really know, hehe..” **

** DH: “Really?  ** ** Well.. Do you still.. like her?” **

** JH: “..Why do you ask?” **

** DH: “Just curious!” **

Jihyo was hesitant to answer, as she wasn’t sure what would be the outcome of saying either yes or no . She realized too that she was the one being asked several questions. That’s why she decided to turn things around, as  she wanted to also know more about the Sana she didn’t know.

** JH: “..I guess the feelings are still there, hehe. It’s been only a little over a week too. ** ** How about you?” **

** DH: “.. ** ** First love never dies, right?” **

** JH: “..Huh?” **

** DH: “.. ** ** She was my first and only relationship.. It’s been around a year, but.. I guess the feeling comes back every now and then, haha. I guess we’re still love rivals, right?” **

Jihyo felt  backed into a corner just thinking about it. What if it was the same with Sana? It is possible that Dahyun was the Japanese girl’s first love as well . And that would mean her feelings might still co m e back to her.

** JH: “N-no.. I don’t want to think about it that way.” **

** DH: “You’re really nice, unnie. That must be why Sana fell for you.” **

** JH: “..Can you tell me more about her? I mean.. about Sana’s past.” **

** DH: “.. ** ** She didn’t tell you about me?” **

** JH: “N-no..” **

** DH: “Well since I surprised you, I can tell you a bit ** **. Let’s see.. where do I start..” **

They only had a few minutes to spare before Jihyo had to work.

** DH: “She and I met on the road ** ** around the second week of the academic year last year. ** ** We were both weren’t looking on the road so we acciden ** ** tally bumped each other ** ** at one  ** ** street  ** ** corner.” **

~  _ Flashback ~  _

** DH: “Ow ow ow ** **..” **

Dahyun fell down butt first after crashing on to Sana.

** SN: “Ah! S-sorry! I wasn’t looking ** **.” **

Sana helped pull up the  girl.

** DH: “ ** ** Umm, thanks. I need to go now!” **

Dahyun passed Sana as she was in a hurry somewhere .

** SN: “H-hey, wait!.. Eh?” **

The Japanese girl noticed  something fell on the floor which looked like a small pocketbook. The girl was nowhere to be seen now so she decided to keep it for the meantime and head to her class. When she finished with her school activities, she went to meet up with Momo and asked her about the pocketbook.

** MM: “So, you bumped into ** ** some chick and she dropped that?” **

** SN: “Yeah.  ** ** I was planning on returning it to her, but s ** ** he was wearing a uniform from a different university ** ** that I don’t know of. ** ** ” **

** MM: “Sounds like some kind of Korean Drama thing. Hehe.” **

** SN: “Can you help me?” **

** MM: “Hmm.. what did the uniform look like?” **

Sana then described  the white girl’s clothing, which luckily, she knew of.

** MM: “Ah! I think that’s from ** ** Seoul National University! ** ** But are you sure? The place is big. There’s no guarantee that you’ll see her immediately.” **

** SN: “ ** ** I’ll find her! No worries~ she’s pretty cute anyway.” **

** MM: “Well, good luck.” **

Sana then headed to the said university and made sure to wait in front of the gates. She would try to see everyone coming in and out until she could find the girl she bumped into. It wasn’t easy though as it  was difficult to go wait there due to her own schedule and not knowing about her s. In fact, she could have just surrendered the item to the  university so that it could be retrieved by her eventually.

H owever , she really wanted to meet her again. After several days of waiting, she finally saw the girl she was looking for passing by in front of her.

** SN: “Ah! Y-you there!” **

Sana’s voice caught Dahyun’s attention and looked to her immediate direction as she was passing by . She tried to process who this girl with the uniform from Yonsei university was until she recognized the one she bumped into a few days ago.

** DH: “ ** ** Aren’t you.. from last time?” **

** SN: “Y-yeah! Hehe. I’m glad you remembered. Ah, my name’s Minatozaki Sana.” **

** DH: “ ** ** Oh.. you’re Japanese? Wow your Korean is really good. ** ** My name’s Kim Dahyun!” **

** SN: “H-Hi, Dahyun! Hehe.. Umm ** ** , here!” **

Sana handed over what looked like the pocketbook  she lost.

** DH: “..Huh? This is my pocketbook! So ** ** I dropped it last time. That’s why..” **

** SN: “Y-yeah, hehe. I wanted to give it back to you~ ** ** ” **

Dahyun received it from Sana with both hands.

** DH: “Thanks so much!  ** ** I thought I lost this for real! I haven’t even finished reading this story.” **

** SN: “No problem! Hehe. I kinda read a bit on the first few chapters though. ** ** That book ** ** , ** ** Moonchild’s Sunlight is really interesting. ** ** ” **

** DH: “..Wow you read it? I don’t know anyone else who did! ** ** Can we talk about the story together? I haven’t chatted with anyone about this book ** **.” **

** SN: “S-sure! Hehe..” **

** DH: “Follow me, unnie! I know a good caf ** ** é near here.” **

_ ~ Flashback End  _ _ ~  _

** DH: “And that’s how we got to know each other. She met up with me almost everyday and we would take turns reading every chapter. She was really nice. Eventually, she introduced me to Momo-unnie as well  ** ** and we both started hanging out beyond the book.” **

** JH: “..Wow.  ** ** I didn’t know about those, hehe..” **

** DH ** ** : “Yeah. I’m really grateful to have met her. If only she didn’t do that..” **

** JH: “..Huh?” **

Dahyun stood up.

** DH: “..Anyway, I guess you’re about to start your work, right?  ** ** I’ll be leaving now. Let’s talk again some other time, unnie! ** ** ” **

** JH: “..Y-yeah! See you next time!” **

The younger girl  headed to Momo first, said goodbye and then left the restaurant. After she le ft, Jihyo stood up and walked towards Momo.

** MM: “H-hey, Jihyo-ssi.. Sorry about that.. Umm, can ** ** I ask you a favor?” **

** JH: “..I think I know what this is about. Don’t worry. I won’t tell Sana.” **

** MM: “Thanks. Dahyunie keeps in contact with me as she sometimes wants to know how  ** ** Sa-tan has been doing. When she learned about you dating her, she  ** ** was curious to know about what kind of person was dating her ex now.” **

** JH: “..Why are you keeping her hidden from her though?” **

** MM: “I don’t know all the details but.. their relationship ended pretty badly ** ** and Sa-tan was very guilty. ** ** I’m not surprised she didn’t tell you about it.” **

** JH: “..I see.” **

** MM: “..I’ll tell you a little more later after work. I trust  ** ** you that you won’t tell her.” **

Meanwhile, after Sana and Mina’s class, the latter once again tried to make up some excuse of needing to do something so she left immediately instead of walking home together. Also, Sana had to take  a make up test she didn’t have during her absence.

** SN: “..I wonder what’s going on?” **

Mina stopped running as  soon as she was outside their building. She let out a deep breath as she was confused why she won’t even try asking Sana about the things she learned yesterday. She looked back at the her classroom’s windows before deciding to take a walk and get a peace of mind. During her walk though, she heard someone call to her.

**_ “Mina-unnie!” _ **

** MN: “..Eh?” **

The voice sounded familiar and she turned around to see one of her new friends, Son Chaeyoung who was  slowly running to her side.

** CY: “..I didn’t expect to see you suddenly. How have you been?” **

** MN: “..I’m fine. And you?” **

** CY: “Same. Anyway, are you going anywhere? The dorm’s at the other side.” **

** MN: “..N-no.. Just talking a walk.” **

** CY: “Oh..  ** ** Hmm, do you want to come along?” **

** MN: “..Eh? Where are you going?” **

** CY: “Just meeting a friend, hehe. Well, that’s if you’re not that busy.” **

After a bit of thinking, Mina replied with a nod to the shorter girl.

** MN: “..I guess there’s no harm to that.” **

** CY: “Great!  ** ** This friend of mine is kind of a lonely girl too. Maybe you’d understand her more.” **

They both walked together until they reached a certain alley, the same one Chaeyoung went to yesterday.

Mina w ond ered why they had to turn to such location until she eventually saw one girl who  looked like she was taking care of some abandoned puppies.

** CY: “Hi, Tzuyu.  ** ** We’re here now.” **

** TY: “..We?” **

Tzuyu turned around  only to see that there was another girl she hasn’t met before . As they made eye contact , Mina felt a cold air touch her as if this other girl was judging her.

** CY: “I brought a friend along. Don’t worry. She’s not from the club and also a really nice person.” **

** TY: “.. ** ** Okay.” **

Tzuyu once again turned her attention to the two puppies she was taking care of.

** CY: “..Are they well?” **

** TY: “..This little ** ** brown guy has been regaining some energy. The other one’s doing fine.” **

** MN: “..Don’t they have a home?” **

** CY: “Unfortunately, someone abandoned them. Tzuyu here is taking care of the pups ** **. She can’t bring them to the dorms though since it’s not allowed.” **

Tzuyu finally stood up.

** TY: “..You talk to ** ** o  ** ** much. Let’s go now.” **

Mina did notice this girl’s  change of attitude. She was all sweet and smiling while she was taking care of the puppies, but her voice tone and facial expression was very different towards  Chaeyoung , someone that was even considered a friend to her. She can only think of the possibility that something happened to Tzuyu that made h er like that.

** CY: “I know a good place to chill out. Follow me.” **

Mina and Tzuyu followed Chaeyoung who brought them to  what looked like a Milk Tea café. They all ordered something and sat down.

T zuyu was just quietly sipping on her drink while Chaeyoung tried to think of a conversation topic with her.  Mina noticed this too so she decided to start the conversation.

** MN: “..So how do you two know each other?” **

Chaeyoung looked to Mina’s direction, surprised that she was the one who began talking.

** CY: “Oh! We’re both in the Archery Club of Yonsei. Well, used to ** **..” **

** MN: “..Used to?” **

** CY: “Y-yeah! Actually, Tzuyu  ** ** kinda ** ** - ** ** ” **

** TY: “I quit the club ** **.” **

The air suddenly became awkward around them, not just because of Tzuyu’s answer, but also  with how she said it.

** MN: “I see..” **

Chaeyoung decided to change the topic.

** CY: “B-by the way, Tzuyu! Mina-unnie and I met about two months ago.  ** ** It was unexpected too since I was-“ **

** TY: “I don’t really care.” **

It was becoming really difficult to make the mood lighter with Tzuyu around. She was definitely a hard one to deal with, and  Mina definitely noticed this. This is when she thought of a way to make the girl talk with them.

** MN: “ ** **..Can I ask a question, Tzuyu?  ** ** Did you use ** **** ** to take care  ** ** of  ** ** a dog? I noticed earlier that you really know what you were doing  ** ** with them.” **

After a sip on her milk tea and placing it on the table , she replied.

** TY: “..I did ** **. Back in Taiwan. He’s gone now though.” **

** MN: “..I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have any plans for those puppies?” **

** TY: “.. ** ** I just want them to have a place to stay.” **

After a bit of thinking, Mina had an idea as to who may probably help the poor puppies out with a place to stay.

** MN: “..I think I know someone who can give them shelter. I’ll have to ask her first.” **

** TY: “I don’t want someone else to take care of them. T ** ** hat person might neglect them eventually.” **

** MN: “..I trust this person more than anyone else. Please don’t worry.” **

** CY: “Tzuyu, you can trust Mina-unnie. She’s a really ** **** ** nice ** **** ** girl ** **.” **

** MN: “..If she’s okay with it, then I’ll ask her to meet up.” **

Mina brought out her phone and started typing a message. While waiting, another  moment of silence came around them. Chaeyoung more or less had an idea as to who  Mina was talking about ; either Sana or Jihyo. That would then remind her about something.

** CY: “By the way, I heard about what happened  ** ** last week between ** **** ** Sana-unnie and Jihyo-unnie.” **

Hearing both their names immediately caught Tzuyu’s attention , as there’s no other name she can’t mishear after what happened between them. From not minding what they were talking about, to now catching her complete focus. Mina on the other hand, was shocked  that even Chaeyoung brought them up.

** MN: “..Who have you heard  ** ** about that?” **

** CY: “Momo-unnie.” **

** MN: “I see..” **

Of course, Mina knew it wasn’t a legit relationship. However, it still is affecting her now that she remembered what transpired a few days ago. Meanwhile, Tzuyu continued to listen.

** CY: “..How is Sana-unnie?” **

** MN: “She’s back in our class today. But I told her to go home immediately after so she can continue to rest.” **

This is when Tzuyu realized that Mina was Sana’s classmate. It was also just now that she di scovered about the unexpected connection Chaeyoung had with them. She would then surprisingly join the conversation and decided to play along.

** TY: “..About this person  ** ** that can take care of the puppies. ** ** ” **

** MN: “Eh?” **

Both Mina and Chaeyoung were surprised to hear her speak up.

** TY: “..I’d like to meet her first before deciding if she can take care of them. ** ** ” **

** CY: “R-really? That’s great then! I’m sure  ** ** everything would be fine!” **

Back at Jihyo and Momo, they finished their shift in a few hours. The older girl tapped on Jihyo’s shoulders to get her attention .

** MM: “So, let’s talk at the café in front.” **

** JH: “..Okay.” **

As soon as they were there and made themselves comfortable with a drink, Momo began to talk.

** MM: “ ** ** Should I start?” **

** JH: “Yeah.” **

** MM: “ ** ** So, Dahyun-ah and Sa-tan had a bad break up. Honestly, I really don’t know the reason and both of them refuse to tell me ** **. They both had different answers though.” **

** JH: “..What did they say?” **

** MM: “ ** ** Sa-tan told me she will say it to me in the future. But it’s been almost a year and she haven’t told me yet.” **

** JH: “..And Dahyun?” **

** MM: “..She said it’s best that I didn’t know ** ** because it might ruin my friendship with Sana.” **

Hearing this made Jihyo think as to why Dahyun said such a thing. So does it mean that Sana was the one at fault between them?

It’ s definitely possible since her past felt like something that the Japanese girl wasn’t comfortable talking about. This made her think that maybe if she went deeper, she herself might change her view of her current infatuation.

** JH: “..I understand. But how was their relationship before?” **

** MM: “They were really flirty to be honest, especially Sana. ** ** When we go out together, it always felt like I’m third wheeling. ** ** That’s why I really didn’t expect them to call it off. ** ** ” **

** JH: “.. ** ** Weren’t there any hints of them  ** ** starting to have some conflicts?” **

** MM: “Nah. That’s why it was really surprising. ** **.” **

It definitely was very strange for them to suddenly break up.  She knows Sana is a very sweet girl, even just as a rental girlfriend. What more for the lucky person to be in a relationship with her?

She finds it hard to  understand why Sana would be the one at fault between her and Dahyun.

** MM: “Oh! I  ** ** kinda remember something!” **

** JH: “..Huh?” **

** MM: “When Sa-tan started to do part-time work, there were times Dahyun-ah wasn’t happy about it. Probably because they spend less time together?” **

It was right there that something occurred to Jihyo. Of course, being able to spend more time together is good. However, they were also both students and going out on dates require money. However, Jihyo realized  one possibility.  She knew that this ‘part-time work’ that Sana had was being a rental girlfriend. But what if Dahyun knew about it? Was she really fine with Sana meeting up with men ? It must’ve been the cause of their potential break up.

** MM: “Now that I think about it, Sa-tan hasn’t told me where she works part-time too. I told her to work with us but she doesn’t seem interested.. ** ** ” **

** JH: “..Don’t worry about her.” **

** MM: “ ** **.. ** ** Say, Jihyo-ssi. Since I told you about  ** ** this, can you tell me about Sa-tan’s part-time work?” **

** JH: “..Huh?” **

Jihyo felt a bit of pressure in answering Momo. The Japanese girl just told her  something significant about Sana’s past. It now felt that she was obligated to tell the truth to Momo. However, it  wasn’t that easy, as it meant also somewhat telling the truth about her own relationship with Sana.

** JH: “W-well, I know what she does, hehe. But  ** ** I’m in no position to say it to you. It’s best that Sana would be the one to speak about it. ** ** ” **

** MM: “..Eh? That’s weird..” **

** JH: “D-don’t worry! I’ll speak to her  ** ** about it so she can tell it to you.” **

** MM: “Okay~” **

Meanwhile,  Sana was already back at her place. She lay herself on her bed and stared at the ceiling. 

** SN: “…” **

She was definitely confused and didn’t know why she has this feeling. She thought that perhaps, starting to fall in love again was definitely  the wrong thing. As she thought about it, she got frustrated even more just thinking if she even deserves to fall in love again.

** SN: “AHHHH! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID ** **!” **

She  picked up one of her pillows and started to pound it on the bed just to let out her frustrations. She eventually got tired and laid down again burying her face on the pillow. She doesn’t know what to do as she wish ed that she could control her own feelings.

Sana picked up her phone and looked at it, then thought hard what she must do. She knew  for a fact that it wasn’t just her who likes Jihyo. Her beloved friend, Mina, as well as Nayeon  also do.

It also pains her to think that she somehow lied to Mina the day before about  Jihyo insisting to stay over , whereas it was actually her who wanted. Maybe if she told her friend the truth, she’d feel less guilty about it. She started typing a message to Mina. However, she was unable to send it, as she was afraid of maybe losing  her friend. If only she’s able to overcome this growing feelings , then maybe she won’t have to go through all of this.

Back at Mina and the rest, she was able to receive a reply to her message. She opened it, and then smiled.

** MN: “..It looks like she’s okay with it.” **

** CY: “Oh, that’s great! We got someone who can take care of them, Tzuyu!” **

** TY: “ ** **..I need to meet this person first.” **

** MN: “I asked her if she was free and ** ** said she’s nearby. I’ll tell her to go to that alley.” **

** TY: “..Let’s go then.” **

The three girls stood up and got all their belongings as they left the store. They got back to the place where the pups were kept and  waited for Mina’s contact person. After a few minutes of waiting, there arrived two girls  who saw them in this corner.

** JH: “..Huh?” **

** CY: “..Jihyo-unnie? I thought you messaged Sana ** **.” **

** MN: “Her apartment doesn’t allow pets too.” **

** MM: “Oh,  ** ** you’re both here! Wait, who’s that girl behind you?” **

Jihyo felt shivers looking at Tzuyu. She didn’t expect that  she was in contact with Mina and Chaeyoung of all people and would be the one who was  taking care of the abandoned puppies. The taller girl just stared at her as if  she knew all along that it was Jihyo who she would be meeting right there.

** MN: “Her name’s Tzuyu, Chaeyoung’s friend. She was the one looking for somebody who can shelter these puppies. ** **** ** Tzuyu, this is Jihyo. She ** ** said it’s okay for her to give them a home. The other girl with her is Momo, another friend of ours.” **

** JH: “..H-hello.” **

Tzuyu simply nodded .

** TY: “..Come here.” **

The air was suffocating for Jihyo. Only she knew that there exists a connection between the tall girl and Sana, nobody else.  Because of this, she felt that whatever’s going on is putting her in a pinch, as if Tzuyu  is in control right now of whatever may happen. From the looks of it, she hasn’t told anything to  Mina and Chaeyoung. However, she can’t deny that anything can happen from that point onwards.

H er voice alone when she called to her made her feel she had to obey, or else her or Sana might get into some trouble. She slowly approached Tzuyu who  was just beside the box where the puppies were .

** TY: “..Can you really take care of them?” **

** JH: “O-of course!” **

** MN: “..Unnie, I’ll visit you every now and then to help you. ** ** I have a dog  ** ** back in Japan so I know how to take care of them. ** ** ” **

** JH: “Really? That would be great, Minari! ** ** ” **

This was what Mina actually  didn’t expect to suddenly do . She somewhat thought that this might be a  g ood way to get closer to Jihyo outside of the friendship circle as they don’t have that much opportunities to meet .  In a way, she wishes to try harder if she real ly wishes to be with Jihyo instead of thinking about  what happened recently.

** CY: “Then we’ll all head back now since we all live in the dorms.” **

** MM: “ ** ** See you, Jihyo-ssi!” **

** MN: “ ** **..Let’s meet tomorrow, unnie. I’ll bring some necessities for them.” **

** JH: “Sure ** **!” **

** TY: “..I’ll go to your  ** ** place today. I’d like to see where they’ll live.” **

** JH: “R-right..” **

** CY: “See you two tomorrow! Tzuyu, be nice to Jihyo-unnie.” **

Momo, Mina and Chaeyoung all left and made their way back to their dormitory. Jihyo was then left alone with Tzuyu as she started to feel the pressure once again being with the mysterious girl. They started walking as Jihyo was taking the lead holding the box firmly. Silence. Nothing else. As much as she wanted to start talking to more or less get along with her, she can’t help but feel that this was somewhat planned by Tzuyu.

Besides this, she also remembers the fact that Tzuyu wasn’t Sana’s girlfriend. She wants to know her real identity. Why does she hate Sana so much? Yet, she said she owns her?

** TY: “..How far are we?” **

** JH: “..Huh? W-well, probably about ten minutes or so. ** ** ” **

** TY: “..Alright.” **

They continued to walk along the sidewalk until they made a stop in front of Jihyo’s apartment, climbed up the stairs , and eventually reached  the older girl’s place. She opened the door and they entered.

** JH: “..So here’s where I stay ** **. There’s much space here in the living room so I’ll set aside an area for these puppies.” **

** TY: “..At least your apartment looks neat unlike that of Sana’s.” **

As they were both finally alone, Jihyo thought of finally talking to her and really know what’s going on. After taking a deep breath, she began.

** JH: “..Did you plan all of this?” **

Tzuyu however, was just minding her own business trying to  rub the back of one of the puppies.

** JH: “..Please don’t get the others involved. ** **** ** Sana doesn’t deserve to get hurt..” **

Tzuyu stopped and finally faced her.

** TY: “..I also didn’t expect Chaeyoung to be connected to the both of you. ** ** It just so happened that this would be the best way we could talk to each other conveniently. I’m sure you won’t tell Sana about this.” **

** JH: “..It might only be a matter of time before she knows. You probably already know she’s Mina’s classmate. ** ** ” **

** TY: “ ** **..Why do you think I pushed this idea?” **

The air was getting tense  as Jihyo didn’t want to say something unnecessary.

** JH: “..Because you care for those poor abandoned puppies.” **

** TY: “…” **

Tzuyu was just silent. She thought that Jihyo would fear what she  could do to them. However, the shorter girl said something that was definitely true. She was concerned of the well-being of th ese precious animals.

** JH: “..Tzuyu, I know you aren’t a bad person ** **. I can tell it because you love these pups. You smile at them. ** ** Whatever Sana did to you, won’t you ever forgive her?” **

** TY: “..I know you wanted to meet me too. Am I right?” **

** JH: “..I can’t deny that. ** ** I actually met someone ** ** new today ** ** that made me want to talk to you. She  ** ** said she was Sana’s ex-girlfriend.” **

Upon hearing the last phrase, it’s as if Tzuyu snapped all of a sudden. She grabbed Jihyo by the collar and pushed  her to the wall , cornering the shorter girl.

** JH: “Ah!” **

** TY ** ** : “..What did you two talk about?” **

** JH: “C-Calm down first and let go!” **

Tzuyu let loose of her grip on Jihyo  who was trying to recover.

** TY: “Speak.” **

** JH: “.. ** ** She just asked what  ** ** happened between us. It didn’t look like she knows that I’m just renting her ** ** , but.. it felt like she had an idea.” **

** TY: “..What else?” **

** JH: “..I also asked about Sana’s past, like how they met.” **

** TY: “…” **

Jihyo’s had it and wished to really know as to  who Tzuyu is to Sana.

** JH: “..Tell me, Tzuyu. Why do you despise her so much? It’s not like you were in a relationship with her ** ** , right?” **

** TY: “..You really want to know, huh?” **

** JH: “..I do.” **

** TY: “..Then answer me this ** ** first. Why do you like her so much? She’s just a rental girlfriend, right? Why did you fall in love with her?” **

After a moment of silence, Jihyo took a deep breath and answered.

** JH: “..I found her really beautiful and had a nice personality at first. I thought it was just a façade of being a rental girlfriend. However, our worlds connected and deep down inside she’s ** ** somebody that makes me happy for who she is. I got to know her beyond fake dating and  ** ** I naturally became attracted to her!” **

Tzuyu was silent, then sat down at Jihyo’s sofa in her living room. She stared straight into Jihyo’s eyes as she spoke.

** TY: “..Do you think you can keep those feelings if you knew of what happened before?” **

** JH: “..I know I will.” **

** TY: “..Very well then.” **

Tzuyu brought out her phone, slightly confusing Jihyo as to what she’s doing. Afterwards, the younger girl showed her phone screen to Jihyo , leaving her into a complete shock.

** JH: “..T-that is.. Dream Life ** **!? So you’re..” **

** TY: “ ** **..That’s right. Sana used to be my rental girlfriend ** ** for some time. ** ** I was her first ever female client. ** ** ” **

** JH: “B-but Tzuyu.. That ** ** doesn’t make sense! ** ** ” **

Tzuyu put her phone back in her pocket after letting out a deep breath.

** JH: “..So she lied?  ** ** She told me..” **

** TY: “ ** ** It was Sana who didn’t make sense. She was working as a rental girlfriend while in a relationship ** ** with Dahyun.” **

** JH: “..So you know who it was.. ** **** ** But ** **.. ** ** isn’t it allowed for rental girlfriends to  ** ** have a ** **** ** relationship  ** ** outside the ** ** business ** **? Didn’t she tell you she had a girlfriend before!? ** ** ” **

** TY: “…” **

Jihyo immediately understood what the silent meant. Sana didn’t say anything about her current relationship at that time.

** JH: “..Don’t tell me.. you fell in love with her too?” **

** TY: “ ** **..You’ve already given an answer earlier. I’m sure you know.” **

Jihyo kept on thinking how  Tzuyu must have felt back then. It was likely she discovered the truth on her own and got  emotionally wrecked. She was in the same position as Tzuyu. However, there were still  things she knew she needed to know.

** JH: “..Is that why you hate her so much?” **

** TY: “..No.” **

** JH: “..Then wh ** ** y? Tell me, Tzuyu.. I want to understand where this is all coming from ** **. It’s already too much for me to hear.. because I didn’t know ** ** you  ** ** used to be  ** ** in my position ** **.. ** ** ” **

Tzuyu became quiet once more. To her, just recalling what has happened in the past was something that brings out a side of her she doesn’t wish to remain.  Jihyo saw her hands were shaking,  as if it was the frustration and anger she has been keeping to herself.  Seeing how she was, she knew this girl in front of her kept everything inside.  As soon as she stopped shaking, she finally spoke words Jihyo could not believe.

** TY: “.. ** ** S ** ** ana  ** ** was flirting  ** ** with me while ** ** she was in a relationship.” **


	17. The Truth about Minatozaki Sana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihyo learns about Sana and Tzuyu's past. Mina's trust is put to the test. Sana arrives at an answer she was looking for.

Jihyo wished that was Tzuyu said was a joke. However,  sh e felt that she  knows the tall girl enough to say that this was definitely the truth. As much as she didn’t want to believe this,  for some reason she understood that yes, it was likely of Sana to do such a thing. She did not even need to react for Tzuyu to understand how shocked she was.

** TY: “..So have you woken up from the truth already? Or will continue to be a modern day simp for that girl?” **

She couldn’t react . Only listen. If she said that she doesn’t believe it, then  s he would be no different that what the girl in fr o nt of her said. Even if she wanted to get emotional, she knew that it wasn’t the right time to be. Instead, she wanted Tzuyu to justify her words. So she finally was  able to respond.

** JH: “.. ** ** Can you tell me what happened?” **

Tzuyu was impressed with how calm and composed Jihyo was ever since hearing about  the truth .

** TY: “..I’ll tell you about it ** **. ** ** ” **

The older girl knew that she didn’t have to  know about  what happened before and just live with it . However ,  this wasn’t the case for her now.  Part of Sana was who she was in the past, and all the more now that she wanted to  understand everything about her .  Maybe if she asked  Sana , she  won’t tell her the entirety of the story and may  leave out some details. She wanted to believe Tzuyu right now and get answers from her . She just wanted to know the truth. If she was really a victim here, then she’ll be the one to judge it herself.

** JH: “..You have my word then.” **

** TY: “..Interesting. ** ** ” **

They both sat down and  the younger girl proceeded to tell what happened before everything became messed up.

**_ ~ Flashback Start ~  _ **

It was during Tzuyu’s first year in Yonsei University. She was  still part of the Archery Club in campus and by far, she was the most talented to ever join the group.

N ot only was she popular because of her skills, but her beauty was out of this world.  Despite being Taiwanese,  her visuals meet the Korean beauty standards perfectly , making it so that she’s the campus crush among all students. Not only did she hold a beautiful smile, but  she held a sweet and down to earth personality that made her easy to approach. A lot of men tried to make a move on her, but she would politely  say no.

** CY: “Hey, Tzuyu. There are some guys waiting outside the club ** ** for you ** **. Can you shoo them away?” **

** TY: “ ** ** Don’t worry about them, Chaeyoungie. As long as they don’t disturb practice,  ** ** it’s fine. Right?” **

** CY: “They are kind of annoying. Why don’t you just get a boyfriend or something so they stop bugging you?” **

** TY: “..I think you know the answer to that.” **

Tzuyu wasn’t interested in those men . She knows that most of the people who are into her  only liked her because of her looks . She was certain these guys don’t even know anything else about her besides archery and her visuals. This was for sure something she didn’t like. Being acknowledged just because she’s beautiful.

** CY: “At this rate, you’ll be single forever.” **

** TY: “ ** **..You talk like you have a significant other yourself, hehe.” **

** CY: “..I don’t, but at least I know who I like.” **

** TY:  ** ** “Really? Who?” **

** CY: “..Not telling~” **

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were close friends. The older girl particularly was the first one who approached her and  was also the  person that made her join the club. She was a shy girl but was able to eventually fit in thanks to her.

One day, Tzuyu heard a bunch of her  teammates in archery talk about something.

** “A rental app where you hire someone to be your date for a few hours? That’s so weird.” **

** “I know, right? But my classmate told me there’s a lot of hotties  ** ** in those apps! ** ** They’re really nice too. ** ** ” **

** “So what? You think you’d get a guy to date you for real ** **** ** after they date you?” **

** “You’ll never know, right?” **

It was a strange conversation. But it also made the young girl curious. Why would such  people work like that? And do people really think they’d eventually end up dating the person they book for real? It sounds like a fantasy pulled out of a Korean drama. She decided to try it , b ut not with a guy . If she’s seen with some man, rumors would start to spread  about her. A girl would make it look like she’s just hanging out with a friend .

Going through the app store, she looked at the available  services and found one in particular , which was Dream Life . She downloaded it and registered herself. After finishing all the necessary details to put,  Tzuyu started browsing.

** TY: (Wow.. there’s a lot.. ** ** it’s not cheap though. ** ** ) **

She couldn’t decide which one to book. As the price was a bit steep , she decided to check on the new er agents which were available for lower prices. There, she found one profile that caught her attention, Minatozaki Sana. She clicked book and set up the date  on the weekend  far from  her university so that no one would find them . It was better to be cautious  anyway.

That following Saturday, Tzuyu made sure to dress nicely for the occasion as if it was a real date.  Even though it was just something she wanted to try out, she can’t help but feel nervous about this arrangement. She was about to  go on a date with a complete stranger. And a very pretty one too. She had to admit as well, she’d rather be in a rela tionship with a woman instead of men.

It was already time and  the girl she was waiting for shortly appeared in front of her. The Japanese girl was dressed pretty casually, yet she pulled of her looks so well.  As they looked at each other, her date grew conscious of the situation.

** SN: “Umm.. are you.. Tzuyu?” **

** TY: “Y-yeah.. ** ** Umm.. this is okay, right?” **

** SN: “Y-yeah!  ** ** It just surprised me, hehe.. it’s my first time to have a female client! ** ** ” **

** TY: “I see..” **

** SN: “Then, ** ** pleased to meet you, Tzuyu! My name’s Minatozaki Sana, your girlfriend~” **

The Japanese girl smiled at her and she  in return got embarrassed. Sana grabbed on her hand and off they go to have lunch together. The girl would then ask her things like how was her day and would openly listen to anything she would say and definitely react to it too. She was a natural. Afterwards, the y went to a dog café .

But then at this time Tzuyu  noticed there was only a about an hour left,  remind ing  herself that everything was fake. It’s not like all of this would be true at the end of the three hours. That’s why before her rental period ended. She decided to ask questions to the girl.

** TY: “.. ** ** Does this job pay well?” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** TY: “ ** ** It does, right? ** ** But aren’t you hurting the feelings of your customer at the end of the day?” **

Sana was silent for a bit, thinking as to why this girl was asking her  such question. Based on the profile of her client , it was her first time to try out this service too. Sana just smiled as she replied.

** SN: “Honestly the money really helps, but I’m really more into it to meet more people!  ** ** Hearing their stories, worries and giving them advice along the way~  ** ** At least, being a girlfriend for ** ** someone even just for a few hours makes one feel they’re not alone. Hehe.” **

The Taiwanese girl did not expect such answer from the girl. Her response was definitely not for show and felt very true of her. However,  she did feel it was just Sana. Other people in the app would likely just be in it for the money and their personalities would be very much different . At the end of the day, it’s a business.

** SN: “How about you, Tzuyu? ** ** ” **

** TY: “..Huh?” **

** SN: “I’d like to hear your story ** ** ~ Why did you study here in Korea?” **

At first, the Taiwanese girl  thought she was asked about her reason for booking her in return. However, it looked like this beautiful girl did not mind at all.

They continued to talk about Tzuyu ’s reasons coming to Korea and she eventually felt comfortable being ar ound her. She eventually opened up  her worries.

** TY: “..I’ve been having troubles with the people ** ** wanting to date me.” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** TY: “..How do you deal with ** ** the people who want to date you for real?” **

Sana realized that the girl she’s dating was starting to become more at ease around her asking such a thing. She smiled and replied.

** SN: “Well, you’re ** ** really pretty so that’s no surprise, hehe.” **

** TY: “..D-don’t flatter me..” **

** SN: “I’m just stating facts~ Anyway, I just politely reject them ** ** and say that I’m already dating someone.” **

** TY: “..You’re already dating someone?” **

** SN: “Ah.. ** ** ” **

Sana was a bit hesitant to respond . Tzuyu didn’t know yet, but the Japanese girl was actually already dating Dahyun at that time.

** SN: “.. ** ** I-it’s just to make them stop! Hehe.” **

She resorted to still hiding the truth, as in most cases, saying such na thing would  make her lose the client. In fact, she was kind of happy to try dating a woman instead for a change .

Tzuyu simply looked at her after her response as she thought how genuinely unique this girl is. Having realized this, they both continued to enjoy each other’s company.

** TY: “..Can I book you again in the future?” **

Hearing this made the Japanese girl happy, as if she made a friend as well. Yet for Tzuyu, she was actually becoming more interested on Sana despite knowing the boundaries  of their contract.

On the following week at school, Chaeyoung noticed that Tzuyu was in a pretty good mood. One thing too has particularly changed. The younger girl was able to ha ndle a lot of the men trying to hang out with her, as she would politely say no.

She wasn’t sure of what she heard from the Taiwanese girl though , which was that she has a boyfriend already. That’s why when Chaeyoung had the chance, she asked  her about this in private.

** TY: “..Oh? That’s not true, hehe.. but I guess it helps in making them bug me less, right?” **

** CY: “..I guess so.” **

Besides this, Tzuyu has also been performing well and at her current state, she was likely to represent  her university for the Inter-collegiate competition in Archery. The tall girl knew why she was feeling this positive though, and that’s because of woman going by the name of Minatozaki Sana. She had plans of meeting up with the girl again on the weekend. So she saved some money from her allowance to get the chance. So on that Saturday, they met up once again.

** SN: “Nice to see you again, Tzuyu! Have you been well?” **

** TY: “I have. Thanks to you, hehe.” **

** SN: “..Eh? Are you flirting around with me or something?” **

** TY: “..Well, you’re my girlfriend today, right?” **

** SN: “Yup ** ** ~” **

** TY: “Then it should be okay.” **

Sana got a bit embarrassed  with Tzuyu talking like that. With men, flirting didn’t really  affect her that much, which is also why she has a girlfriend. However, Tzuyu was a different story. It felt more real to her than that of male clients . Regardless, she tried to maintain her composure and they proceeded with the date.

This particular arrangement went on for a few more weeks. They went to museums, am aquatic park and even to a dog café, Tzuyu’s favorite. Sana did become a bit concerned with Tzuyu  spending a lot. She was just a university student and that meant  booking her will use much of her allowance all the time.

** SN: “M-maybe you can try booking me every other week? Hehe. It costs a lot you know. ** ** ” **

At this point, the Taiwanese girl has booked Sana the most among all her clients. Just counting from the number of dates they had, it was a lot already. Even if Tzuyu comes from an affluent family, she knows she shouldn’t be spending that much.

** TY: “It’s fine. I enjoy being with you. ** ** Don’t you as well?” **

Sana had to admit, she was also always looking forward to meeting Tzuyu every time. In a way, she was also getting attached to the younger girl because of this.

** SN: “Y-yeah, but..  ** ** this is still a business, you know. ** ** It would be better if you save your money and find a real girlfriend ** **!” **

** TY: “…” **

Tzuyu was silent, reminding herself that all they had was just temporary . At the end of the day, it’s still business. Maybe it was her mistake all along to believe everything was looking real.

** SN: “..I’m sorry, Tzuyu..  ** ** You’re a very sweet girl, but.. I don’t want you to  ** ** end up breaking your bank account just so I can be your girlfriend for some time.. ** ** I like you a lot but I don’t want to see you  ** ** feel bad in the future.” **

** TY: “..Okay.” **

Hearing those words made Tzuyu feel that all she did was of no meaning. However, she did hear a particular stateme nt that placed a permanent mark in her mind: I like you a lot. This made her realize that maybe if they had a different arrangement, then it would be possible for them to date for real.

Sana was also afraid at that time. As they went on with their arrangement, she grew more fond of the Taiwanese girl  and started to feel differently around her too.

She was feeling guilty though that they had this particular confrontation  days before Tzuyu’s elimination rounds for the Archery competition.

The day of the eliminations came and it just so happened that the preliminaries was to be held in Yonsei University. Tzuyu was one of the representatives and was expected to win the competition , for a certain time. This was because she has been neglecting her practice ever since she last talked to Sana. They were in the home crowd as well that instead of hearing cheers that will motivate her, she felt more pressure instead.

** CY: “You can do it, Tzuyu!” **

** TY: “…” **

The tall girl  drew her first arrow and prepared herself aiming for the target. As she shot her first arrow though, it landed on eight points , which wasn’t so bad. However, most of the other schools got the same score as well .

The crowd continued to cheer as Tzuyu tried to regain focus, taking one deep breath after another. That was until she heard a particular voice in the crowd.

**_ “ _ ** **_ Fighting, Tzuyu!” _ **

It was loud, but the voice she heard was one that was very particular for her ears.  She looked through the crowd and found that one person she heard, it was Sana. The Japanese girl was a student at Yonsei University as well and was watching her, cheering for her to win. She was left without words, but after a brief pause, she was finally able to smile again and g ain her confidence back. She drew her second arrow  to hit her target, now feeling happy to see the girl that inspires her in the crowd and shot it. What soon followed for the next few minutes was something amazing that not even the judges expected. Tzuyu hit all the remaining three shots  with a perfect score,  tying it with the highest ever recorded score for the elimination  round , and also the most consecutive tens ever.

T he student body went wild cheering for the Taiwanese girl’s achievement as she moves on to the next level due in two months time.

** CY: “You’re amazing, Tzuyu! You broke a record!” **

** TY: “..T-thanks, hehe. ** ** ” **

** CY: “Let’s go meet up with the rest of the club!” **

** TY: “Ah.. Can you go ahead? There’s something I have to do first..” **

** CY: “Oh, sure.” **

Tzuyu tried to look around the crowd that was leaving already and managed to find the Japanese girl that wad cheering for her. They looked at each other as Sana gave a thumbs up at her, trying to  say with her hands that she will wait at the tree behind the Archery club. The younger girl went there as soon as she can and waited for her arrival. The moment she saw Sana walking towards her, she smiled.

** TY: “..So you’re a student here too.” **

** SN: “..Hehe, sorry.  ** ** We aren’t allowed to share such information to clients.” **

** TY: “..So why did you?” **

** SN: “I didn’t ** **. I was just here to support our university’s representative.” **

** TY: “..Thanks.” **

** SN: “..I’ll watch the next one too.” **

** TY: “..Huh? But that will be at a different place.” **

** SN: “It’s fine. ** **** ** I can still support you, right? Hehe.” **

Tzuyu smiled at Sana after realizing that the older girl was just playing with her words, but actually wanted to really support her.

** SN: “..I’ll get going then. See you!” **

Sana was hurrying to leave but the tall girl instinctively grabbed on her hand.

** TY: “..W-wait..” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** TY: “..Can we.. hang out sometimes?” **

Sana paused a bit and thought about their current situation, smiling afterwards.

** SN: “..I don’t see why not.” **

After that day, Sana and Tzuyu would at times meet up with each other and hangout. They didn’t tell anyone about this though. One is because they didn’t want anyone to know about how they met. The second reason being  that it felt exciting to meet up with someone in secret from everyone else.

Tzuyu still booked  Sana every other week as a rental girlfriend regardless if they were already good friends with each other. It kind of ended up a mix between the two and Sana would show care to Tzuyu outside of her bookings to Tzuyu as if they were a real couple.

However, after some time passed, Sana was meeting up with her les s and eventually spoke up to the Taiwanese girl about the coming Archery tournament.

** SN: “..I don’t think I can cheer  ** ** for you on y ** ** our match ** ** at Seoul National University ** **. Sorry..” **

** TY: “..Huh? Why all of a sudden?” **

Sana did not reply but just felt bad saying this after learning about the  tournament details. However, she knew she had to continue.

** SN: “..I’ll be a bit busier  ** ** too so I might not be able to meet up with you anymore. Sorry.” **

Sana then attempted to walk away but Tzuyu grabbed on her arm making her stop.

** TY: “..W-what’s going on? Why are you suddenly like this? ** ** Give me at least a proper explanation!” **

The Japanese girl tried to break free from her grasp , eventually freeing herself and running away. Tzuyu tried to chase her but was called  later by Chaeyoung from the club.

** CY: “Tzuyu! What’s going on? I heard  ** ** you ** ** shouting?” **

The younger girl stopped on her  tracks after Chaeyoung called to her , feeling frustrated that  all  she was left with were feelings that all this time she thought was mutual.

She then wouldn’t have heard from Sana for a few days. However, she made an attempt to book the older girl as a rental girlfriend. It took the entire day for th e response and it was still pending. Eventually though in the evening, it was approved. The Taiwanese girl got excited thinking that maybe, everything was okay now which is why Sana accepted the booking.

That weekend, Tzuyu made sure to  dress up nicely and set up an itinerary that Sana will surely like. Once the girl arrived at their meet-up spot, she smiled and greeted her.

** SN: “It’s great to see you again, Tzuyu ** **. How are you?” **

** TY: “ ** **..I missed you. Let’s have fun together.” **

Sana offered her hand to the younger girl and together they went to the nearest department store. There, Tzuyu bought  her acting girlfriend a nice perfume, Sana’s favorite in particular.

** SN: “Y-you shouldn’t have, Tzuyu.. ** ** ” **

** TY: “I want to. It’s yours now, okay?” **

** SN: “..Thanks. ** ** ” **

Tzuyu was definitely more assertive this time. They next watched a  romance  movie, something that Sana was looking forward to watching as far as the Taiwanese could remember. She wasn’t sure if Sana watched it already with some other client, but it was worth a try.

S he tried looking at her expression during the movie, and was surprised. It looked like she haven’t watched it yet. However, time to time, it looked like she was spacing out. At the end of the movie, the younger girl tried chatting with her and Sana was listening, for a bit.

They eventually stopped over at a park with only fifteen minutes to spare. There were barely any people as it was getting dark. Sitting down at one corner, they  simply waited in silence until the time is up. Something was wrong, and Tzuyu can sense it. The moment Sana spoke, her heart suddenly felt a sting.

** SN: “..Let’s end this.” **

The younger girl was certain what it meant. No, it wasn’t the date she was talking about . It was the whole thing they have going on. Sana wanted them to stop ever meeting each other.

** TY: “..Why did you accept my booking then?” **

Both Sana and Tzuyu were starting to get emotional.

** SN: “I wanted to know.. if we  ** ** c ** ** an turn things back to normal..” **

Tzuyu turned and faced Sana holding her hand firmly as she replied.

** TY: ** ** “Let’s keep this going! I know that you know how we both feel for each other ** **.. We’ll be happy together ** **! I.. I love you so much..” **

Sana started to cry , yet the Taiwanese knew this wasn’t tears of joy. Her grip  felt weaker and weaker until she let go of her hand.

** SN: “..I’m.. I’m sorry, Tzuyu.. I have a girlfriend..” **

Everything came to a halt. Tzuyu was in complete shock  hearing about her being in a relationship with someone already.  She remembered that Sana said she wasn’t seeing someone. But it was all a lie. Even after all this, she realized  that Sana was making her feel things that she shouldn’t have. Considering she has a girlfriend. The younger girl had mixed feelings. Sadness, frustration, and anger. All because  Sana was playing around with her.

** TY: “..Why did you.. make me feel special then?” **

** SN: “.. ** ** We’re under a contract..” **

** TY: “SHUT UP! DON’T LIE!” **

T zuyu shouted out of frustration, hands were shaking so much that she wanted to hit Sana so badly, but she couldn’t  because she really loved her. She knew that what Sana was saying wasn’t true.

** TY: “If that’s just your job,  ** ** THEN WHY DID YOU TREAT ME LIKE A LOVER EVEN WHEN  ** ** I DIDN’T BOOK YOU!? You were literally  ** ** behaving like a girlfriend to me even when we hang out.. ** ** AND  ** ** WHAT ABOUT THE TIME YOU ALMOST KISSED ME!? ** ** ” **

Sana started crying. Frustrated and guilty of what she made the younger girl feel , but ultimately had to end whatever they had, because she knew this was the proper thing to do.  However, no explanation can turn things any better for Tzuyu.

** SN: “.. ** ** There’s nothing that I can say that’ll make you feel better, Tzuyu. I’m really sorry.. hit me if you ** ** ’d like to.. I don’t care.. I deserve it..” **

And she did. Tzuyu did not hesitate to slap Sana several times until her hand already felt numb . The Japanese girl’s lips started to bleed from the amount of punishment she wanted to receive from her. But still, she knew it wasn’t enough.

** TY: “..Fuck you, Minatozaki Sana..” **

Tzuyu walked away and didn’t look back. Sana was left all alone, still trying to absorb the fact that she  did not only Tzuyu dirty, but her girlfriend as well. She fooled around when she didn’t have to , making a mistake of falling for her client when she shouldn’t have.

**_ ~ Flashback End ~ _ **

** TY: “..And that’s what happened between us. ** ** ” **

Jihyo felt strange knowing now what really happened back then . She really held  on to the feeling that Sana had her reasons for doing so. However, hearing it come from the girl she fooled around with made it clear for her that not everything is all  sparkles with Sana’s persona.

However she still felt it’s not enough. She didn’t know about Sana’s side of the story , as well as how it all ended up with her confronting Tzuyu about it. What’s more is the special relationship that they both have right now, with the Taiwanese girl saying she owns her.

As Tzuyu recalled everything that happened back then,  she felt stressed out . Her eyes started to tear up but made sure to cover her face from Jihyo so as to not show any sign of weakness. The older girl looked at her, concerned with how it must have felt for Tzuyu being  someone who was given only false hopes of  romance with Sana. However, she noticed something strange . Tzuyu’s right hand was covered in bandages. She did not notice this before because of the long coat the girl usually wore .

** JH: “..What happened to your hand?” **

As Tzuyu heard this, she brought her hands down and  ignored Jihyo’s question. She stood up , took her bag and was about to leave Jihyo’s apartment.

** TY: “.. ** ** I’ll leave now.  ** ** I trust you that you’ll take care of these puppies. ** ** ” **

** JH: “..I will.” **

** TY: “See you then.” **

Tzuyu opened her  apartment  door . But before she left, Jihyo spoke to her.

** JH: “..I’m sorry to hear about what Sana did to you.” **

Surprised, she looked at the shorter girl in wonder why she’d show concern for her.  Jihyo did not even show a single hint of wanting to defend Sana after knowing the truth.  She thought that Jihyo should have shown  and built up her anger already. Trying to ignore this, she continued on and left  Jihyo’s apartment without looking back.

** TY: “..I’ll be back this weekend.” **

Now left alone, Jihyo  thought about what Tzuyu said. She still believed Sana likely had another reason why she did that. Now that she thinks about it, it was likely the reason she broke up with Dahyun was because  she was caught flirting.

The pale-skinned girl also  likely knew of Sana’s work as a rental girlfriend which also made her think, was Sana fine with it?  If it were her in Dahyun’s position, would she be okay with it knowing that her girlfriend might be flirting around with someone else?  These were the questions that loomed her mind as she was  feeding the puppies that  were left in her care.

The following day, Mina went to her class looking forward to  meeting up with Jihyo so that they could spend time together. Entering her classroom, she again of course met Sana who greeted her with a smile . She did the same. However, the younger girl did feel that  there’s somewhat a growing gap between the two of them ever since the day before yesterday. The thing is though, this gap was growing larger because of her. Sana doesn’t know that she  knows that she lied about Jihyo. Mina honestly didn’t want to move farther away with her friendship with Sana , and thought that maybe later, she will confront her friend about it.

When lunch time came, she took this opportunity to talk to Sana after the latter invited her for lunch at the usual spot. It might cause a rift between the two of them. But at least this way, it won’t grow any bigger, at least for her.  Taking time to be comfortable again with her, she tried her best to open up the topic when she had the chance.

** MN: “..Hey, Sa-chan..” **

** SN: “..Yes?” **

** MN:  ** ** “Jihyo-unnie told me.. You wanted her to stay over last weekend.” **

Sana was caught by surprise as the younger girl talked about something she hop ed was eventually forgotten. However, she realized in a way that it was also likely that  this was one of the reasons why her friend was a bit avoidant of her as well.

** SN: “Y-yeah, hehe.. ** ** J-just wanted to be sure I won’t get sick ** ** , you know?” **

** MN: “..Why did you tell me it was her who insisted?” **

** SN: “ ** ** Umm, I didn’t want to lie Mi-tan. I’m sorry.. I was just worried that.. you’d get the wrong idea. ** ** ” **

Sana got irritated with herself. She ’s not telling everything to her friend as she couldn’t just tell her that she also likes Jihyo as that would be  one of the reasons why they might end up distancing from each other. She’s not ready. Even until now, she can’t even answer if she wants Mina to end up becoming Jihyo’s real girlfriend or not.

** MN: “..It’s okay, but please tell me next time the truth.” **

** SN: “..I will. Promise.” **

Mina smiled at her feeling that everything should be okay between the two of them now. She still holds a hunch that Sana might actually really like Jihyo as  it was something that she probably shouldn’t have hidden if there’s really nothing between them. Nonetheless, she will have her answers in the future.

** SN: “So, what did you do yesterday?” **

Mina then told her she happened to meet Chaeyoung while on her way out to university. She had nowhere really to go and decided to just join the younger girl. For a bit, Sana realized this that Mina didn’t really have anything to do yesterday. She just tried to avoid hanging around with her. This made her somewhat guilty about what she kept from her.

** SN: “So where did the two of you go?” **

** MN: “We met a friend of hers  ** ** that  ** ** was taking care of abandoned dogs  ** ** in an alley  ** ** and had  ** ** drank some Tea together.” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

Mina’s words rung a bell in Sana’s memory, as she knew also one girl who  showed a lot of love and care for  animals.

** MN: “Yeah.. Her name’s Tzuyu.  ** ** I think she did Archery like Chaeyoung.” **

That was when Sana started to internally panic. She did not expect Tzuyu to be connected with Chaeyoung. And now,  even Mina is familiar with  her . No one knew that she knows the tall girl except for Jihyo.

** SN: “..Oh! W-well ** ** , was she nice?” **

** MN: “Yeah. Anyone who likes dogs is a nice person, right?” **

** SN: “I guess so.. hehe.” **

Luckily for Sana, it didn’t seem like  Tzuyu has done anything that could have harmed her relationship with the girls. Meanwhile, Mina thought of telling one more thing to her friend.

** MN: “..By the way, the puppies I was talking about. Jihyo-unnie is going to take care of them.” **

** SN: “ ** ** W-WHAT!?” **

Mina was surprised of Sana’s sudden reaction which sounded a bit too much. The older girl realized this and tried to make things less awkward.

** SN: “..I-I didn’t know Jihyo likes dogs!  ** ** Hahaha ** **!” **

** MN: “..Y-yeah..” **

Sana started to get worried big time. It simply meant Jihyo met Tzuyu again  and it was likely not going to be the last time. She’s fully aware that the tall girl will likely do something to make sure Jihyo  will know about the truth behind her relationship with  her first ever female client.

Mina had no idea what was going on in Sana’s mind. However, she did know that things are getting better for the both of them. And that’s the good thing. She decided to tell Sana of her plans.

** MN: “.. ** ** She said that she will head here  ** ** to Yonsei later and we’ll go together to her apartment. Would you like to come too?” **

This somewhat surprised Sana, seeing that her friend was taking the initiative. As much as she could feel happy right now for her, she was starting to feel left out. She still supports Mina’s pursuit for love. But she can’t help but feel that she wish she was there too. Even though she wanted to go, she had to do something else as a top priority.

** SN: “..I’d love to go, but I have a few things to do today, hehe. Maybe tomorrow?” **

** MN: “..Eh?.. Okay.” **

Mina was really surprised. She thought that Sana was definitely going with her based on her gut feeling. However, she did not expect her friend to  miss an opportunity with Jihyo considering that she really felt like Sana had feelings for her infatuation too. Maybe she had a date with one client later which  is why she had to decline.

After some time, Jihyo arrived in Sana and Mina’s university. She didn’t have part time work. It was still one hour early though , but she had other reasons why she went there. The young girl went to the Archery club as she wanted to talk to Chaeyoung.  She asked the club members if she was there, and luckily she was. They both headed to the side of the club to talk.

** CY: “I didn’t expect you to come here, unnie. Why did you  ** ** want to talk?” **

** JH: “Well, I wanted to ask something about Tzuyu. ** **.” **

** CY: “..Tzuyu? Did something happen yesterday?” **

** JH: “ ** ** N-no it’s fine. Don’t worry. But I just wanted to know, why ** ** did she quit the Archery club?” **

** CY: “Oh..” **

Son Chaeyoung was silent for a bit as if contemplating if she would tell Jihyo or not. Ultimately, she thought that it should be fine.

** CY: “..Tzuyu  ** ** broke ** ** her right hand ** **.. d ** ** ays before the tournament. ** **. ** ** It was  ** ** pretty serious ** ** one ** **.. and the reason she can’t practice  ** ** A ** ** rchery ** ** effectively ** ** anymore. She decided to q ** ** uit.” **

** JH: “..So that’s why  ** ** her hand was like that..” **

** CY: “..You saw? She was hiding it most of the time ** **.” **

** JH: “Yeah.. What happened? ** ** ” **

Chaeyoung thought again, and decided to just trust Jihyo in this case. She felt that if there’s anyone that can understand the younger girl, it would be her.

** CY: “..Please don’t tell anyone that I told you this, especially Tzuyu.” **

** JH: “..You have my word.” **

** CY: “No one else knows except me. But  ** ** about a week ** ** before the tournament, her personality suddenly changed.. She didn’t want to talk to people and would always spend time alone. ** ** Those who were trying to hit on her were  ** ** either  ** ** being totally ignore ** ** d ** ** or she’d badmouth them directly so they would lose interest ** ** on her ** **. ** ** ” **

This what somewhat understandable for Jihyo, as she now knew that she’s changed after what happened between her and Sana. She can’t blame everything to Tzuyu. If she were in her position, she felt that her reaction probably would have been the same.

** CY: “ ** **..I heard from her that she was taking care of an abandoned  ** ** kitten ** ** before.  ** ** At that time, s ** ** he’d  ** ** already  ** ** rather spend time with animals as she no longer trusts people. ** ** ” **

** JH: “..She really likes animals.” **

** CY: “Yeah.. that’s why  ** ** I believe she’s still good. Something just changed about her..” **

** JH: “..Yeah.. I think so too.” **

** CY: “.. ** ** Anyway,  ** ** something unfortunate happened ** **.  ** ** Four of those ** ** men who liked Tzuyu  ** ** wanted to take advantage of her ** **.” **

** JH: “..What?” **

** CY: “They sneakily followed her once and  ** ** saw where she was taking care of the  ** ** kitten. These men were literally trying to threaten her  ** ** using the poor cat.” **

** JH: “..Then?” **

Chaeyoung started to shake in anger just remembering what happened before.

** CY: “.. ** ** Rather than plead, Tzuyu tried to fight back ** **** ** even if she was alone ** **. One guy tried to ** ** harass her but she resisted.  ** ** Then one of the guys became frustrated and really attempted to murder the  ** ** kitten by hitting it with a bat ** **. Tzuyu reached for the cat to protect it and..” **

** JH: “..That’s enough, Chaeyoung. I understand now.. Sorry for asking..” **

** CY: “..It’s fine.. I just ** ** hate  ** ** those men.. It could have been worse if police didn’t arrive  ** ** by then.  ** ** The kitten was fine, but  ** ** Tzuyu was rushed to the hospital ** **.. I’m sure her operation was expensive based on the medical report. I don’t know how she paid for it though..” **

** JH: “..I feel bad for Tzuyu.” **

** CY: “..Thanks for wanting to know more about her, unnie. She definitely needs friends around her ** ** , and I’m glad you’re not misunderstanding her.” **

** JH: “ ** ** No worries. Thanks as well. I’ll make sure to become good friends with her. I need to go now.” **

** CY: “See you.” **

Jihyo left the younger girl and headed to the university’s gate to meet up with Mina , feeling strange with how Tzuyu’s life has become and how  one after another, her life turned things upside down.

After  a while ,  Sana and Mina’s classes were done.  They both headed out their build8ng and to the university’s gates.  From the distance, Sana saw Jihyo waiting there already. She got nervous and involuntarily stopped from walking.

** MN: “..Eh? What’s wrong?” **

** SN: “I.. kinda forgot something at the classroom! Hehe. You go ahead, Mi-tan!” **

Sana left her friend immediately and ran away before Jihyo can spot her. As much as she wanted to talk to Jihyo right now, she can’t help but feel nervous . Also, she wanted to talk to Tzuyu first before seeing the younger girl again. That’s why she waited until  Mina and Jihyo to head off. The shy girl approached Jihyo who immediately noticed her.

** JH: “Great to see you, Minari. Huh? You’re not with Sana?” **

** MN: “N-no..  ** ** she had to go back to our building.. Would you like to wait for her?” **

** JH: “..N-no.. it’s fine.” **

As much as Jihyo wanted to somehow speak with Sana after learning about  her past with Tzuyu, she felt that she still wasn’t having not having to arrive with an answer for herself yet. That’s why she decided that maybe, it is better off this way.

After they left, Sana went to the opposite direction and  waited at some playground that doesn’t usually get any visitors. She sat down by the swing while waiting for the person she intended to meet. In about  30 minutes or so, she heard the footsteps of the girl she was waiting for and stopped right in front of her.

** SN: “..Thanks for meeting up with me ** ** , Tzuyu.” **

** TY: “..Cut the ** **** ** polite ** ** gestures.  ** ** I know why you wanted to meet with me.” **

This was something that Sana expected too.  She was worried though as to what have they talked about so far.

** SN: “..Can you leave Jihyo alone?” **

** TY: “..Why would I?” **

** SN: “..Whatever’s between us.. is just between us. Don’t get the others like Mina involved ** **.. please.. I promised you that I’ll pay off everything!” **

Tzuyu chuckled a bit after hearing Sana’s desperation. She then responded.

** TY: “..Did you know she met Dahyun  ** ** yesterday ** **?” **

** SN: “..W-what ** **! ** **?” **

** TY: “..You heard me right.” **

Sana didn’t know about this. All this time her ex-girlfriend has never been in contact with her and didn’t know that such a thing happened. She didn’t want Jihyo to meet her, as she wanted to  be the one to tell about  what happened before.

** TY: “Jihyo want ** ** ed ** ** to know the truth ** ** from me. ** ** ” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** TY: “She wanted to know about what happened to us in the  ** ** past. From me. Not you.” **

Sana was frozen in place as she was afraid. Afraid  of the younger girl’s thoughts about her and what she did. Everything she did back then came back to haunt her. She made a mistake. A big mistake. And  now it’s time she faced the consequences of doing so. She’s starting to sound desperate.

** SN: “ ** **..Let’s stop this, Tzuyu ** **. ** ** Isn’t it enough?  ** ** Once I’m done paying you back, let’s forget everything..” **

** TY: “..Forget everything? ** ** After you played with my feelings and causing me to  ** ** lose all that I hold dearly, you want me to forget everything ** **?” **

Tzuyu was starting to get angry with Sana as her voice started to tremble. She raised her right hand , showing  one of the  most  precious things she lost.

** TY: “..I can’t do Archery now because of you..  ** ** and even if for some miracle I can use my hand again, you already left a permanent scar in me..  ** ** I never once trusted another person ever since you  ** ** used me for your own benefit.. you don’t deserve to be happy.” **

The Japanese girl did not mean to say such things to her . She simply wanted to get over how Tzuyu has been tormenting her life. But this does not invalidate the wrong she has done to  her previous client.

** SN: “.. ** ** I know you still can’t forgive me.  ** ** I mean no disrespect. But at least let me ** ** still ** ** appreciate something in life. ** **.” **

** TY: “You know that the reason  ** ** I’m like this is because of your own doing. ** ** Stop playing aroun ** ** d with someone else’s feelings. ** ** You already toyed with mine. Isn’t that enough ** **! ** **? ** ** ” **

Silence grew  around them as Sana  reflected on  doing something wrong to  the younger girl in front of her.

** TY: “.. ** ** Stay away from the people ** ** around you ** **. ** **** ** You’ll just end up hurting them. You deserve to be alone, bitch. ** ** ” **

The latter didn’t say another word  and just left Sana there in the playground. Now left alone, she cried out of frustration because as much as she wanted to  change the past, it’s not possible. What’s done is done, she destroyed Tzuyu’s life, and it was only fair hers would be destroyed too . She sat there isolated from the rest of the world  filled with nothing but guilt of her own actions.

Meanwhile, Mina and Jihyo made their way to the latter’s apartment, who was also  not as talkative as usual. The younger girl noticed this and thought of asking her about it.

** MN: “..Is something wrong?” **

** JH: “..Huh? N-no.. it’s okay.” **

** MN: “..You can tell me your worries, unnie..” **

** JH: “..Thanks.” **

For the rest of the ir trip to Jihyo’s apartment,  both were silent. The older girl had thoughts about Sana’s  relationship with Dahyun and Tzuyu, and thought of re asons why she cheated on her ex-girlfriend. Mina o n t he other hand,  was getting worried of her infatuation . She wasn’t usually that silent and  would only mean something is bothering her. She only thought that it might be because of Sana, similar to before. There must have been a reason she wanted to meet up at Yonsei University, to maybe see Sana and talk to her.

Finally, they arrived  at the older girl’s apartment. Mina brought out some toys for the puppies as well as  protective clothing that was just the right size.

** JH: “..Did you spend money for that?” **

** MN: “It’s not much. Don’t worry.” **

Mina proceeded to teach Jihyo a few things that  the puppies  tend to like and dislike based on her experience taking care of her own dog back in Japan. In a way, this distracted Jihyo from  whatever was bugging her mind.

** MN: “I’ll teach you some easy  ** ** healthy food you can make for them. Can I see your fridge?” **

** JH: “S-sure..” **

Jihyo took the Japanese girl to the kitchen where the latter thought of something healthy for the puppies to eat.  She wore the apron at the counter and began prepping the food. Jihyo  looked at the  usually  shy girl chop some veggies and somewhat got distracted as she looked so feminine and attractive. Someone like Mina would be an ideal girlfriend too if they were to see her now. She shook her head trying to get back to reality. It still amazed her though. From the shy girl that barely talked to her, to the woman working hard right now, she grew a lot. Jihyo felt that she is lagging behind in becoming a better person.

** MN: “..Is something wrong?” **

Mina was looking at her wondering why Jihyo has been staring at her for some time.

** JH: “Ah.. it’s nothing! I just thought you looked really beautiful wearing an apron ** ** , hehe.” **

Mina quickly turned to her back  facing Jihyo, trying to hide the flustered look on her face as her heartbeat started to  increase by the second.

** MN: “..C-can you get the green peas?” **

** JH: “..Huh? Okay, wait..” **

As things started to get comfortable around them, Jihyo was again reminded of Sana’s  situation. She wasn’t exactly sure of it, but somehow wanted to hear  someone else’s opinion. This is why she asked the Japanese girl.

** JH: “..Hey, Mina ** ** ri..” **

** MN: ** ** “.. ** ** Yes? ** ** ” **

** JH: “..What would be a  ** ** valid ** ** reason to cheat on someone?” **

** MN: “..W-what?” **

The question came out of nowhere and Mina was caught completely off guard not knowing the right answer to it. She thought about it dee ply while also thinking, why did Jihyo ask such a thing?

** JH: “I mean..  ** ** like flirting with someone else when you’re in a relationship.. is wrong, right?” **

** MN: “.. ** ** Y-yeah.. I guess so.” **

Mina doesn’t under stand why such a question was raised by Jihyo. All the more, is this related to Sana in any way?  Who is in a relationship? Are Sana and Jihyo dating already?

** JH: “..S-sorry. Must’ve been weird I asked such a thing, hehe.” **

** MN: “..It’s fine.” **

** JH: “..By the way, how is Sana?” **

** MN: “I think she’s fully recovered now. I invited her to come with  ** ** me today. But I guess she’s busy. ** ** She probably has a client.” **

Jihyo realized that it was possible that Mina already talked about Tzuy u and the puppies to Sana, thus knowing that she came in contact with the Taiwanese beauty. Even though she wanted to meet  the girl she likes and have her questions answered, she figured that hearing it from Tzuyu is only fair before she talked to her.

** JH: “I see..” **

Mina felt that Jihyo still harbors strong feelings towards Sana. What’s more is that they’re both okay now, but she doesn’t know her friend’s standpoint about this, knowing that Jihyo has feelings in between their arrangement. For the meantime, she wanted to enjoy this moment. Maybe, Jihyo will take more notice of her too.

It was already getting dark and Sana decided to go back to her apartment after coming up with her own personal decision about the entire situation she was in , and that is to tell Jihyo about everything herself. Definitely, she was afraid of losing someone close to her already,  and her own feelings are not helping.

However, she did realize that if Jihyo didn’t accept this side of her past, she  had no right whatsoever to stand beside her. At the very least, Mina is still there for  Jihyo.

Mina too was about to leave Jihyo’s place after they had a fun time taking care of the puppies. It looked like Jihyo enjoyed, but there’s still this unshaken feeling inside her that there’s more into it.

** MN: “..Until next time, unnie.” **

** JH: “..Huh?  ** ** Won’t you come here again tomorrow?” **

** MN: “..Eh? S-sure.. ** ** ” **

The younger girl didn’t expect it as she was only there to assist Jihyo  . But if it were to become a regular thing for them, then she definitely wouldn’t mind such arrangements.

** JH: “Take care, Minari. Tell me when you get home.” **

After parting ways, Jihyo was left alone again in her apartment. She just thought of  Sana. She knows she likes the girl. But  after learning how she may have cheated on Dahyun and in a way used Tzuyu’s feelings for her own benefit, she wasn’t sure how to feel right now. Even in the situ ation that she told Tzuyu the truth, the fact remains that she lied and did flirt around with the younger girl.

The next day, Sana approached Mina in their class and asked if she will go visit Jihyo and  the puppies .

** MN: “..Eh ** **? Yeah. I’ll head there directly today ** ** since Jihyo-unnie ends her shift early today.  ** ** Why?” **

** SN: “..Can I come along? Hehe. But don’t tell Jihyo. ** ** ” **

** MN: “..S-sure..” **

Mina wasn’t sure what’s going on as to why Sana didn’t want her to know, but decided to go with the flow so that she’d understand what’s going on between the two.

Their classes ended late and when it did, they went to Jihyo’s apartment. The older girl was definitely nervous, and thought if this as maybe an opportunity too t o tell Mina about it as well. It all boils down to whatever reaction these two girls will have. She didn’t want to hide anything anymore. And in the end if they don’t accept her anymore, then  she simply deserves being abandoned by the people she cares about.

Finally, they arrived at Jihyo’s place. She could he a r the pups barking  as they stood at the front door. Mina knocked on the door and in a few seconds, Jihyo opened the door. They just stared at each other ,  both were equally nervous seeing each other , with Sana now  about to see how two of the most important people around her will react as she would say more things about herself that she hasn’t said before. While with Jihyo, still feeling not ready to face her infatuation.

** MN: “Sa-chan wanted to come along. I hope you don’t mind.” **

Jihyo  noticed that f rom the looks of it, Sana knew what happened already.  Even though she knew Sana had no ill intentions, she  was having mixed feelings that  the girl actually  really  cheated  on her  now ex- girlfriend. If that was the case and they become a couple , would the same thing happen? She can never be too sure.

** JH: “..C-come in.” **

Mina entered and immediately  had her attention on the little puppies. Meanwhile, Sana and Jihyo stared at each other trying to think what the other is  thinking right now. They knew they both wanted to talk to each other . It was just a matter of when. As Sana was now in front of her,  Jihyo wanted to hear about  her side of the story, her perspective, and  her reason s. Knowing such will lead to the answer she was looking for.

** MN: “..Did you feed them already?” **

** JH: “..Huh? Y-yeah, I did. Don’t worry.” **

It didn’t matter anymore to Sana. She just wanted to get this burden out of her chest. And that’s why she had to say it now. She locked the door as she entered .

** SN: “Jihyo, Mi-tan.  ** ** There’s something I want to tell you both..” **

** MN: “..Eh?” **

Jihyo remained still, as she understood what  Sana was about to do. The girl ’s eyes looked serious, which meant that whatever Sana was going to say was nothing but the truth. Noticing that she decided to talk about her past with Dahyun and Tzuyu in front of Mina as well made her think that she was definitely  saying everything there was to know.

** SN: “You don’t know yet, Mi-tan.. But I know who ** ** Tzuyu is.” **

As expected by Jihyo, Mina didn’t know about  that and was surprised to hear it. But the shy girl didn’t know yet that was just the beginning of something bigger. Jihyo finally responded as she wanted to hear about  Sana’s side.

** JH: “ ** **..You probably know that Tzuyu told me already.. right?” **

Sana nodded in reply to Jihyo’s question , keeping her words at a minimum. She knew she will be talking a lot soon, b ut it wasn’t the number of things she had to say, but the gravity of the things that she wanted to tell the two important people in her life.

** MN: “..What’s going on?” **

** JH: “Tzuyu.. was Sana’s first ever female client in Dream Life.” **

** MN: “..Eh?” **

** SN: “..I’m sorry, Mi-tan if I haven’t told you about this ** ** before. But I wanted to tell it to you now as well rather than just hear her side in the future. ** ** ” **

Mina finally understood that this was about Sana’s untold things about her past , understa nding that this may be related to what Jihyo may have asked her the previous day. She doesn’t completely know yet, but it was definitely related to that.  She didn’t expect it to be related to Tzuyu. But now that she’s hearing about it, the shy girl got kind of nervous as well.

** JH: “..Tell me, Sana. Is it really true? ** ** ” **

With one deep breath, Sana prepared herself for the worst no more running away. It’s all a matter now of accepting her own mistakes in the past and move forward  with whatever way she can. Now looking at Jihyo, the girl she’s now falling for, she only wished that she could be understood, even if everything from the start was already wrong.

** SN: “..Yes. ** ** I was flirting with her and hid it from Dahyun..” **


	18. The Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sana tells her side of the story. Jihyo responds. A new life begins.

Mina could not believe what she was hearing right now.  She never thought that Sana would do such a thing. It all connected to what Jihyo was asking the day before . After what may happen today, she realized that things may no longer be the same for all of them.

Jihyo  was not surprised though. This just further validates what everything Tzuyu said to her. What she wanted to hear now was Sana’s reasons for doing so. At the very least she is happ y that in a way, she can see from the girl’s face that she was definitely guilty of doing such a thing to the poor girl.

** JH: “..Did Dahyun know? ** ** About your rental girlfriend job?” **

** SN: “..Yes.” **

** JH: “ ** **..So she found out about you and Tzuyu?” **

** SN: “..Yes.” **

Sana’s facial expression did not change. Yet the weakness in her voice made it so that it was understandable why she is  doing this. She wish to be understood.

** JH: “..It’s okay, Sana. I’m not angry at you..  ** ** I’m angry at what you did.. if you know what I mean.. ** ** but I want to hear it from you too. ** ** ” **

** MN: “..Can you tell me more? I’m not following the conversation well..” **

** SN: “..I’ll tell you both everything you want to know.” **

**_ ~ Flashback Start _ ** **_ ~ _ **

Sana and Dahyun have been dating for quite some time already. It has been months and their relationship grew stronger by the day. However, not seeing each other on a regular basis due to being in different universities made their time together even more special,  which also meant eating at nice places,  dating  at good locations,  giving expensive gifts and such.  As students, this also meant it’s necessary for them to do a part-time job. During her lunch time with Mina, she decided to talk about it.

** SN: “Hey, Mi-tan~ Any ideas of a good part-time job? ** ** I need to earn money these days, hehe.” **

The young er girl was still very timid during these times and she simply shook her head in response.

** SN: “Oh, okay. Momoring actually invited me to  ** ** work at a restaurant not so far from here. But I kinda don’t like that. ** ** It’ll get boring after some time.” **

Mina just quietly listened to Sana rambling on several  ideas of what she would like to do. Sue finished eating and was just waiting for the shy girl to finish. While waiting, she brought out her phone and searched on the internet some unusual and fun jobs. That was when she saw it.

** SN: “..Eh? A rental service?” **

Hearing Sana, the younger girl looked at her and wondered what she saw. Her friend read through the details  about it as well as the feedback from those working in this type of job .

T here were a lot of positive things mentioned. You get to meet new people, help them out and make them happy , pay is good and is a popular part time job for many young adults. There were also some who mentioned they found their  significant other through the service as well. Sana didn’t mind about th ose comments though, since she already had Dahyun . But from the looks of it, this was something she can definitely enjoy. Sana of course, was a very sociable person. Helping out people was always something she naturally does.  Having a major in Psychology also meant that she’s very delighted to get to know people deeply.

** SN: “I’ll try this one out, Mi-tan. Hehe.” **

Sana showed her phone’s screen leaving her  friend surprised with what she was to do.

** MN: “..But.. Dahyun?” **

** SN: “..Eh? It’s a job, silly. It’s not like I’m cheating on her or something. ** ** I’ll tell her about it too! Don’t worry~” **

O f course, before doing this job, she wanted  affirmation from her girlfriend first. After classes, she went to Seoul National University  to meet up with Dahyun , after hugging each other as well as a kiss, they went to the café near the campus and talked. There, Sana explained  her plans.

** DH: “..W-what!? A rental service?” **

Hearing Dahyun’s voice, she certainly sounded unsure about this decision Sana is making, something that the latter expected.

** SN: “Yeah, like I told you, I don’t really have any club activities like you. I know you’re preparing ** ** for the Inter-collegiate Archer ** ** y ** ** competit ** ** ion so you don’t have time. That’s why I wanted to do something part-time ** ** and earn money for us~” **

After a brief moment of silence with the pale girl thinking deeply, she then replied.

** DH: “.. ** ** Can’t you do a different job instead? I mean.. dating others is just..” **

** SN: “ ** ** That’s why I’m telling this to you, babe. I have you already. If I didn’t tell you, wouldn’t it be more suspicious? ** ** It’s not like there will be perverted stuff happening. ** ** I ** ** ’ll ** ** be rented by  ** ** some boring men ** ** , but they don’t know I have such a cute girlfriend already~” **

Dahyun realized that this was true. A ctual dating apps would be the way to go if that  she was really intending to find a new partner . Knowing  that Sana was a social animal too meant that she can get to meet a lot of people and she’d enjoy this kind of job. Besides having a very flexible schedule where s h e can choose her booking slots so that they can still spend time together,  Sana wouldn’t really be telling her about this if she had plans on getting into a new relationship with someone else.

** DH: “ ** **..Alright then.  ** ** Make sure you tell me what‘s going on with your job, okay?” **

** SN: “Of course~” **

Dahyun  herself wanted to prove to her that she completely trusts her. That’s why she accepted. With that, Sana searched for a good agency on her phone and they found out about Dream Life. She applied as a rental girlfriend and filled in all the necessary detail s. In a day, she got a reply and she was welcomed  by the agency, immediately telling Dahyun and Mina about this news.

Both excited and nervous, Sana opened her first schedule for the weekend in an attempt to do well with this job and earn some cash, taking into careful consideration all the details about her first client. Meanwhile, Dahyun did not mean to do it, but she decided to tail Sana on her first date as she still wasn’t so familiar about this particular arrangement.  Anybody would be naturally curious about this setup and she herself had her own worries  if things wouldn’t go well such as her girlfriend getting harassed and such.

On the first day of her new work, Sana met up with a male client that looked  like a senior university student. The guy was nervous but Sana was completely fine. Even before, she’s a complete natural in talking to strangers . Dahyun saw this and saw Sana  asking for the guy’s hand. It was natural, she thought. It wasn’t within the rules unlike others  including hugging and kissing. Her girlfriend and her client started walking and they looked like they were about to have lunch as they headed to the food district in Myeongdong.

Everything looked fine as id it was a normal date, minus the guy being awkward around her. Who wouldn’t be? Sana was really nice and beautiful and  anybody would dream to have her as a girlfriend . Anyone able to see them would make every one feel very jealous of the man. In a way, Dahyun thought that her worries may really be for nothing after all. Time went on, they went to a gaming store  and Dahyun still followed them while making sure she wasn’t seen.  From the looks of it, Sana was enjoying and  felt safe all along.

Eventually, the date ended and the m an bid her rental girlfriend farewell. Once her client was out of sight, Sana signed in relief that everything went fine. The pay was good and it took only three hours for her. She even was treated to a good meal so it’s all good. With this, she’s certain that she can save a lot of money and  will be able to treat her girlfriend to really nice places.

That day, Sana also agreed with her girlfriend to meet up after her booking. She messaged her girlfriend informing her she was done and told of her location. The pale-skinned girl didn’t immediately head to Sana to make it less suspicious that she was stalking her the entire day . Eventually, she decided to show up and let Sana see her .

** DH: “So how was it, babe?” **

** SN: “It was fun! The guy was really awkward at first.  ** ** Probably why she doesn’t a girlfriend. But he opened up to me easily~” **

** DH: “..Really? Tell me more!” **

They both looked for a nearby café to stay at while Sana would tell everything that happened to  her girlfriend. In a way, this was also part of Dahyun’s idea to check on her girlfriend if she would be lying or not about some details on what happened.  Getting into this industry was definitely unusual but maybe, it’s also just her who doesn’t trust her beloved completely.

They had a chat at the café for about an hour. There, Sana told everything that happened during the date. This made Dahyun realize that the Japanese woman wasn’t hiding anything at all to her. She felt bad about herself though, considering that she did follow her during the whole date just to see if she would lie or not.

** DH: “..I’m glad that you enjoyed yourself, hehe.” **

** SN: “Yeah! Anyway, would you like to eat somewhere nice? My treat~” **

For the next few weeks, Sana proceeded with her new part-time work while Dahyun was practicing for her club activities.

When they meet up, Sana would often show Dahyun who booked her and tell what happened. As she expected, some of these men would confess to liking her but  Sana always rejected them. At times when the client was somewhat handsome or  look rich, Dahyun would feel insecure and try to follow her girlfriend’s activities. But with everything that happened, it all lead to nothing. Dahyun was convinced that there’s nothing to worry now about her girlfriend’s job and have decided to trust her more.

Eventually, Dahyun no longer asked Sana any detail s about her clients. She figured that her beloved was  always true to her and she should stop having doubts. It would only be fair to have the same  trust be given to each other. Other than this, she should focus her energy more on  practicing on her club activities when she can.

** SN: “ ** ** You sure you don’t wanna know ** **?” **

** DH: “Nah, let’s talk about something else~  ** ** A ** ** bout us ** **!” **

E verything was really smooth sailing in their relationship. Whenever Dahyun was in her club, Sana would do her work as a rental girlfriend. Once Dahyun was free, the Japanese girl would treat her somewhere nice to relieve her of her stress. This went on for a while, until Sana received an unusual booking.

She saw her client waiting for her at the designated  meet-up location.  For the first time, it was a woman who booked her.

** SN: “Umm.. are you.. Tzuyu?” **

** TY: “Y-yeah.. Umm.. this is okay, right?” **

** SN: “Y-yeah! It just surprised me, hehe.. it’s my first time to have a female client!” **

** TY: “I see..” **

** SN: “Then, pleased to meet you, Tzuyu! My name’s Minatozaki Sana, your girlfriend~” **

This was completely unexpected and Sana did not know what to do. She handled men pretty well but  she didn’t expect a booking from a woman , let alone a very beautiful one. It wasn’t restricted in the rules of the agency though. That’s why she still proceeded.

Sana grabbed on her hand and they started the date, first having lunch together. She did what she would usually do with her  male clients, but even better. This was because in a way, it’s a new refreshing experience for her, and she’s definitely feeling the vibe more as if she was dating Dahyun  right now. She’d ask questions about her day and would actively listen whenever her client spoke.

She noticed that Tzuyu was a little stiff though, but this was definitely to be expected. It looked like the tall girl had no experience in dating and  was simply trying out the service. After lunch, they headed next to a dog café  where they will kill the rest of their time.

Everything looked fine so far for Sana and it seemed that the date will end well. However, the Taiwanese girl asked something that surprised her.

** TY: “..Does this job pay well?” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** TY: “It does, right? But aren’t you hurting the feelings of your customer at the end of the day?” **

Sana was n’t expecting such a question to be thrown by her. At first it was true, earning cash was her  initial  motivation for doing this. But along the way, she realized that getting to know so many people and helping them out has been fulfilling. S ana just smiled as she replied.

** SN: “Honestly the money really helps, but I’m really more into it to meet more people! Hearing their stories, worries and giving them advice along the way~ At least, being a girlfriend for someone even just for a few hours makes one feel they’re not alone. Hehe.” **

Tzuyu just looked at her,  making Sana rethink what she said if there was something wrong with it. This was definitely what many people see of the rental service industry. People are just having a good time, earning a lot of money while fooling their clients.  That’s why she thought that Tzuyu was doubting her. As the air grew silent,  Sana thought of getting to know this unusual person she’s met.

** SN: “How about you, Tzuyu?” **

** TY: “..Huh?” **

** SN: “I’d like to hear your story~ Why did you study here in Korea?” **

Meeting this girl has been a changing experience for Sana.  She grew more curious of her and wanted to get to know her more .  Hearing this also made the Taiwanese feel different about  the girl she booked, as she now knows that Sana is different from the stereotypes she heard about people in this industry.

They continued to talk about Tzuyu’s reasons coming to Korea and she eventually felt comfortable being around her.  All of a sudden, Sana didn’t expect the younger girl to open up something.

** TY: “..I’ve been having troubles with the people wanting to date me.” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** TY: “..How do you deal with the people who want to date you for real?” **

Sana realized that the girl  was in a similar situation as her. Countless guys were tailing her and who could put blame? Tzuyu was one of the most beautiful people’s she ever met. In a way, Sana thought that if she was single, she might have made a move on Tzuyu as well. Realizing this thought, she shook it off and tried to get back on topic.

** SN: “Well, you’re really pretty so that’s no surprise, hehe.” **

** TY: “..D-don’t flatter me..” **

** SN: “I’m just stating facts~ Anyway, I just politely reject them and say that I’m already dating someone.” **

** TY: “..You’re already dating someone?” **

** SN: “Ah..” **

Sana was a bit hesitant to respond. Tzuyu didn’t know  that she  was actually already dating someone , Kim Dahyun.

** SN: “..I-it’s just to make them stop! Hehe.” **

Sana decided to hide the truth from Tzuyu. Firstly because she didn’t want the girl to feel uncomfortable around her. She was worried that Tzuyu might  not feel safe around her knowing she’s dating a woman. The second reason  was that most of the time, if anyone in the industry was known to have been dating someone, they  end up losing clients by a mile.

Eventually with all of this, Tzuyu was able to smile comfortably around her rental  girlfriend as they both enjoyed each other’s company. As time ran out and they are to part ways, Tzuyu asked.

** TY: “..Can I book you again in the future?” **

Hearing this, Sana couldn’t help but smile as she herself also hoped to meet the Taiwanese girl agai n in the future.

** SN: “Of course~ I’m looking forward to it.” **

The following day, Sana had free tim e to meet with Dahyun so they agreed to go on a date at the mall.  It has been a while since they talked about the Japanese girl’s clients and figured she can try talking about it with her lover.

** SN: “..By the way. Yesterday, I had an unusual client book me, hehe. A girl.” **

** DH: “..W-what!?” **

Dahyun almost choked herself after hearing this. She thought that all this time the dating app Sana was registered in was just for male clients. She must’ve overlooked it and didn’t expect women would use the service as well to rent a girlfriend. This time, the younger girl was more uncomfortable. With Sana officially dating her, this also meant that there’s a higher possibility for  her to start liking a female client instead unlike  male ones.

** SN: “Yeah. She’s Taiwanese and really liked the date too ** ** ~ she might book me again in the future.” **

Dahyun started to feel jealous hearing this. However, it also felt like she  might look bad if she demanded Sana to suddenly stop. The more she thought about it, she realized that Sana was able to tell her such a thing. If  her girlfriend would cheat on her, she’d simply hide this fact. Now if she were to complain,  it just meant that she’s not as understanding towards her.

** DH: “..G-great!  ** ** Y ** ** ou probably have another regular then.. Was she pretty?” **

** SN: “Yeah!  ** ** Her name’s Tzuyu.  ** ** She doesn’t know but we’re actually from the same university. So I need to be careful that she doesn’t see me ** ** around.” **

Sana wanted to say these things to Dahyun  as she did make a promise to tell her everything . Besides that point, it’s also necessary to make her girlfriend understand that she’s not hiding anything  from her.

** DH: “..By the way, I’ll start to get busy these weekends for the competition..” **

Sana was saddened to hear this  as it meant they’ll have less time to spend with each other. Not wanting to pressure though, she showed understanding instead and supported her girlfriend.

** SN: “That’s okay, hehe. You better win ** **. Ok ** ** ay? ** ** ” **

** DH: “I’ll dedicate my victory to you~” **

The following week, the Taiwanese girl booked Sana again.

** SN: “Nice to see you again, Tzuyu! Have you been well?” **

** TY: “I have. Thanks to you, hehe.” **

Sana was a bit surprised how upfront she became .

** SN: “..Eh? Are you flirting around with me or something?” **

** TY: “..Well, you’re my girlfriend today, right?” **

What Tzuyu said was definitely true, so Sana simply followed the flow and did her best to be the ideal girlfriend for her.

** SN: “Yup~” **

** TY: “Then it should be okay.” **

Sana got a bit embarrassed with Tzuyu talking like that. With men, flirting didn’t really affect her that much, which is also why she has a girlfriend. However, Tzuyu was a different story. It felt more real to her than that of male clients. Regardless, she tried to maintain her composure and they proceeded with the date.

This particular arrangement went on for a few more  weeks. Sana did become a bit concerned with Tzuyu spending a lot. She was just a university student and that meant booking her will use much of her allowance all the time. Besides this she had other concerns.

Time to time, Dahyun would ask her about Tzuyu if she’s still booking her. Sana would honestly answer about this but what really is a concern to her is that Dahyun might be growing jealous as days pass. Not wanting to make her girlfriend feel bad, she did ask her about it eventually.

One time, they were both spending time in the older girl’s apartment which was now outside Yonsei University as she wanted to spend time with Dahyun more, the Japanese girl brought up the s ituation.

** SN: “..Hey, babe.” **

** DH: “ ** ** Yup?” **

** SN: “..Are you okay with.. Tzuyu booking me a lot these days?” **

The pale-skinned girl was surprised to hear  Sana asking such a question. That was when she realized, is she prying on her girlfriend’s job too much?  She didn’t want to sound desperate or so, but knowing that Sana has been spending time with another girl definitely bother her. Yet she didn’t want to admit it.

** DH: “..W-why would that bother me? Hehe. ** ** It’s fine~” **

** SN: “But.. you  ** ** occasionally ** ** ask ** ** about her. I was worried if you’re jea-“ **

Dahyun immediately held on  Sana’s hand making her stop from  going on and on. She looked at her girlfriend and smiled.

** DH: “It’s fine babe. Hehe ** **.. Sorry if you’re thinking like that. I’m just stressed recently with practice in the club ** **. ** ** I really want to win.” **

** SN: “..Okay.” **

Still, Sana was bothered by the situation. She has a girlfriend, but she’s spending  quite some time with another woman. Despite her knowing that there’s really nothing to worry about, she didn’t want to ca use any additional stress for her lover. That’s why on her next date with Tzuyu, she decided to suggest something.

** SN: “M-maybe you can try booking me every other week? Hehe. It costs a lot you know.” **

The Taiwanese  lady was Sana’s biggest client. They had the most dates among all her clients . With that in mind, Sana also know the amount of money Tzuyu shelled out just for them to  spend time. She was honestly getting used to being around her that it too wil l definitely affect her once Tzuyu books her less. She may be from an affluent family, but she needs to spend wisely.

** TY: “It’s fine. I enjoy being with you. Don’t you as well?” **

Sana had to admit, she was also always looking forward to meeting Tzuyu every time.  Not being able to spend time with her real girlfriend was really disappointing . Even though she wanted to come to Seoul National University to cheer on Dahyun when she practices , the latter insisted for her to not go to campus as she would usually get distracted and not focus.  In a way, she was also  starting to get attached to  Tzuyu because of this. If she wanted to make changes, she had to be frank to the tall girl.

** SN: “Y-yeah, but.. this is still a business, you know. It would be better if you save your money and find a real girlfriend!” **

** TY: “…” **

Tzuyu was silent, reminding herself that all they had was just temporary.  This was the reality that they both have to remember. As Sana started to  grow closer to Tzuyu , th ese bookings as a rental girlfriend is not the way to go.

** SN: “..I’m sorry, Tzuyu.. You’re a very sweet girl, but.. I don’t want you to end up breaking your bank account just so I can be your girlfriend for some time.. I like you a lot but I don’t want to see you feel bad in the future.” **

** TY: “..Okay.” **

That was when something occurred to Sana. Yes, she likes Tzuyu. But to what extent? Why did she say those words? It’s not like she hates the girl. But as time passed, it felt like she’ll really feel depressed if all of a sudden, once she’s no longer spending time with  her.

This was when something occurred to the Japanese girl. Maybe it would be better if they could become friends outside of their bookings. That  would also probably make things better for Tzuyu even if they she eventually doesn’t book her that often anymore.

With the elimination round for the inter-collegiate Archery competition coming in just a few days, Sana decided something that  will change everything about her relationship with Tzuyu. She decided to show up  at  the competition venue and cheer for the Taiwanese girl as it will be held in Yonsei University.

Ever since talking to Sana, Tzuyu has been neglecting her practice sessions in the club. And as the day of the competition came, the young girl was more nervous than she expected.

** CY: “You can do it, Tzuyu!” **

** TY: “…” **

Sana was able to make it at the venue and saw  the girl preparing already for her first shot, scoring an eight like most of the other participants. The crowd was cheering for the Taiwanese girl to do her best.  Of course, Sana wa nted her to win as well and finally decided to cheer on her. With one big breath, she shouted with the crowd  hoping that the Taiwanese girl would notice her.

**_ “Fighting, Tzuyu!” _ **

The crowd was really noisy, yet Sana’s voice stood out for Tzuyu. She  immediately searched  throughout the  crowd and found that one  voice, it was Sana. The  girl she likes was a student in Yonsei University as well and was cheering for her .  She  stared at her and was then filled with determination , smil ing once  gain and  motivated to win . She drew her second arrow to hit her target, now feeling happy to see the girl that inspires her in the crowd and shot it. What soon followed for the next few minutes was something amazing that not even the judges expected. Tzuyu hit all the remaining three shots with a perfect score, tying it with the highest ever recorded score for the elimination round, and also the most consecutive tens ever.

The student body went wild cheering for the Taiwanese girl’s achievement  and Sana felt really happy to see her succeed. At least now, she’s able to give some form of support to her even if they don’t see each other through their bookings. Sana looked at Tzuyu from a distance.

** CY: “You’re amazing, Tzuyu! You broke a record!” **

** TY: “..T-thanks, hehe.” **

** CY: “Let’s go meet up with the rest of the club!” **

** TY: “Ah.. Can you go ahead? There’s something I have to do first..” **

** CY: “Oh, sure.” **

Tzuyu tried to look around the crowd that was leaving already and managed to find the Japanese girl that wa s  cheering for her. They looked at each other as Sana gave a thumbs up at her, trying to say with her hands that she will wait at the tree behind the Archery club. The younger girl went there as soon as she can and waited for her arrival. The moment she saw Sana walking towards her, she smiled.

** TY: “..So you’re a student here too.” **

** SN: “..Hehe, sorry. We aren’t allowed to share such information to clients.” **

** TY: “..So why did you?” **

** SN: “I didn’t. I was just here to support our university’s representative.” **

** TY: “..Thanks.” **

** SN: “..I’ll watch the next one too.” **

** TY: “..Huh? But that will be at a different place.” **

** SN: “It’s fine. I can still support you, right? Hehe.” **

Tzuyu smiled at Sana after realizing that the older girl was just playing with her words, but actually wanted to really support her. Meanwhile, Sana felt that doing this can help the girl feel at ease even if they don’t  haves that many ‘dates’ anymore.

** SN: “..I’ll get going then. See you!” **

Sana was hurrying to leave but the tall girl instinctively grabbed on her hand. This surprised Sana and felt something unusual. Her heart started to beat faster.

** TY: “..W-wait..” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** TY: “..Can we.. hang out sometimes?” **

Sana paused a bit and thought about their current situation . It would really be a  g ood way for them to have less bookings and turn things around to a great friendship. That is, of course, if  she can manage this strange feeling. It was worth a shot, and knew that it was also her that needs to  deal with such emotion.

** SN: “..I don’t see why not.” **

After that day, Sana and Tzuyu would at times meet up with each other and hangout. They didn’t tell anyone about this though.  And even Sana didn’t inform her girlfriend about these secret meetings.  She figured that it would be best for her to make this work first rather than adding more stress to her lover’s club practice.

Being the friends that they already are beyond  the rental girlfriend status, Tzuyu still booked Sana. The Japanese girl though felt  being caught in-between. She didn’t want to accept the request at first,  but felt pressured in doing so.

I t’s not because of the money, but more for the reason that Tzuyu would always try booking her while they were hanging out.  Rejecting it felt so bad considering that she wanted Tzuyu to be happy even if they stop dating.

As time went on, Sana was starting to  realize something was wrong with her. She was starting to fall for Tzuyu . She noticed this when Tzuyu was beginning to be affectionate to her even when they just hang out at the university. She was indeed very sweet and does her best to spend time with her.  It was something that Dahyun was unable to give her.

She still loves Dahyun though. However, their current situation wasn’t really going well. They spend time, but the  younger girl would often just vent at her and was definitely letting out her stress from her Archery practice . I t even came a time that Dahyun didn’t want to talk to her  as she couldn’t focus with her training.

It was a c omplete opposite of Tzuyu who would  always find the time and appreciate her presence. It was starting to get dangerous for her and can’t help but feel how Tzuyu made her feel special. At first she just tried to go along the younger girl’s  attempts to flirt with her. But as time went on,  she finds herself doing the same thing. There was even one time that  Tzuyu did something very sweet to her, making her a h ome made lunch .

** TY: “I made this just for you.” **

She was out of words, somewhat feeling that  if Tzuyu was her girlfriend, everything would be perfect. She didn’t realize that her face was closing in to the beautiful Taiwanese , lips only a breath away from the other. That was when she stopped and moved back before doing something  wrong. In the first place, what she was feeling right there was a mistake already.

** SN: “..T-thanks for  ** ** this, Tzuyu! I’ll make sure to finish this up!” **

Not long after that, the next time she met Dahyun,  she heard about the same thing.

** DH: “T ** ** hey announced that the  ** ** first ** ** round will be at  ** ** my university. ** ** ” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** DH: “ ** **.. ** ** Th ** ** e Archery tournament. ** ** I don’t know if I can make it but.. ** ** I know I can do better if you’ll cheer for me.” **

Sana could not speak, understanding that she was delaying things  to end up in an inevitable situation. She just wanted to be friends with Tzuyu, but the more it went on, the more difficult it became. She was weak. Weak for even falling for her while  she had a girlfriend. Given now what may happen, sh e realized that she didn’t have to make things out of hand. If only she communicated with both girls properly, misunderstandings could be avoided. Leaving her with no choice.

** SN: “..I don’t think I can  ** ** come..” **

With Dahyun hearing this, she started to get frustrated thinking as to why even during her busy season working hard  on her training and competition, Sana wasn’t even taking any efforts to support her.

** DH: “..So your job is more important to you now?” **

** SN: “Eh? N-no! Of co-“ **

** DH: “Then why can’t you even support me in something I ** ** ’m passionate about!? I’ve been fine with you all this time doing your rental girlfriend job.  ** ** Don’t you think it ** ** stings  ** ** for me  ** ** that you’re spending time with other people ** **?  ** ** But you can’t even come to one event for your real girlfriend!?” **

** SN: “..T-that ** ** ’s not true!” **

** DH: “Then why!?” **

Sana realized this was the result of her mistakes , and telling Dahyun about her seeing Tzuyu outside of work will only make things worse.

But if she doesn’t say anything yet,  then it might only lead to the worst-case scenario. If she wanted to make sure she  can support Dahyun without problems, she knew she had  to do something, and that is to sort things out with Tzuyu .

** SN: “..Give me until  ** ** this week ** **. I need to do something first.. ** ** Then I’ll be sure to  ** ** be there for you.” **

** DH: “..What are you talking about?” **

Sana didn’t say another word and left her girlfriend at the café. She next contacted Tzuyu knowing that this had to be done as soon as she can.

** SN: “..I don’t think I can cheer for you on your match at Seoul National University. Sorry..” **

** TY: “..Huh? Why all of a sudden?” **

Sana did not reply but just felt bad saying this after learning about the tournament details. However, she  was still unable to say that she already has a girlfriend and whatever’s going on between them had to stop. She knew that these words will hurt Tzuyu a lot.

** SN: “..I’ll be a bit busier too so I might not be able to meet up with you anymore. Sorry.” **

Sana then attempted to walk away but Tzuyu grabbed on her arm making her stop. She wanted to get away, as she knew the longer she stayed, the more sorrowful their separation would be.

** TY: “..W-what’s going on? Why are you suddenly like this? Give me at least a proper explanation!” **

The Japanese girl tried to break free from her grasp, eventually freeing herself and running away. Tzuyu tried to chase her but was called later by Chaeyoung from the club. As she ran away, part of her felt unhappy, because in a way, she wanted  the younger girl  to chase after her regardless of  their status. Sana understood it clearly. She likes Tzuyu.

Now not  knowing what to do,  she thought of seeking some advice from someone. She wouldn’t dare tell it to her close friends though, that’s why she decided to talk to Chan , her childhood friend who may be able to give her advice more objectively. They met up and Sana explained everything that was going on.

** BC: “..So you like that girl more than Dahyun  ** ** now ** **.” **

** SN:  ** ** “..Eh? N-no! It’s just-“ **

** BC: “I’m just saying it based on what I hear, noona. ** ** ” **

** SN: “…” **

** BC: “.. ** ** You can’t try to please everyone. In the end, you’ll just hurt them both.  ** ** You need to choose.” **

After a bit more thinking , Sana’s phone suddenly  rang a notification. She brought it out and saw Tzuyu trying to book her on the weekend. She ignored this earlier than day but she had to already make a response or else the booking will automatically be cancelled.

** BC: “ ** ** Is that the rental app you were talking about?” **

** SN: “..Eh? Y-yeah.. W-wait! What are you doing!?” **

Chan snatched the phone from Sana and looked at the screen carefully. Afterwards , he clicked on Accept Booking from the options and returned it to Sana.

** BC: “ ** ** There.  ** ** I helped you out.” **

** SN: “You idiot! Why the heck did you do that!?” **

** BC: “If you didn’t want it, why haven’t you cancelled then? ** ** ” **

Sana’s childhood friend was right. She had all the time to cancel the request but thought about it all this time. In fact, she really did want to talk to Tzuyu. Sort things out and her feelings as well, hoping that  it would all end up fine. Dahyun is her girlfriend, and she needs to admit it to her.

** SN: “..Thanks, Chan.” **

** BC: “If everything turns out well, you owe me one. Okay? Introduce me to a cute girl or something.” **

** SN: “In your dreams.” **

Now  with maybe her last booking with Tzuyu, Sana wanted to see if everything will be fine between them, and especially for herself, coming to meet her as  how she was before with her, a rental girlfriend.

That weekend, Tzuyu made sure to dress up nicely and set up an itinerary that Sana will surely like. Once the girl arrived at their meet-up spot, she smiled and greeted her.

** SN: “It’s great to see you again, Tzuyu. How are you?” **

** TY: “..I missed you. Let’s have fun together.” **

S eeing how  Tzuyu was so happy to see her started to sting for Sana. She didn’t want to hurt the girl , and with how she’s trying her best to please her instead of the other way around made her feel that there’s no way in the world that  everything will be back to normal.

T hey went to see a romance movie, something that Sana was look i ng forward to watching. In fact, she hasn’t watched it before because she was hoping to see it with Dahyun . She was spacing out and could not really pay attention to the big screen. After the movie, Tzuyu tried chatting with her, but she barely can listen attentively .

They eventually stopped over at a park with only fifteen minutes to spare.  Not a lot of people were there and  she realized it finally came, the time she had to tell Tzuyu the truth. With nothing else to talk about as they idly wait for the booking to end, Sana spoke.

** SN: “..Let’s end this.” **

The younger girl was certain what it meant. No, it wasn’t the date she was talking about. It was the whole thing they have going on. Sana wanted them to stop ever meeting each other.

** TY: “..Why did you accept my booking then?” **

Emotions started to run all over . All because of the mess Sana started, trying to please both girls. It was all her fault.

** SN: “I wanted to know.. if we can turn things back to normal..” **

Sana wanted to return the time she was j u st a rental girlfriend to the Taiwanese. But as she said these words, she knew that it was not the case anymore, even for her.  She likes Tzuyu, but it grew to the point that it shouldn’t have .

** TY: “Let’s keep this going! I know that you know how we both feel for each other.. We’ll be happy together! I.. I love you so much..” **

Sana started to cry,  as she too wanted to say the same words. However it was simply wrong.  And this is what she chose to do, as if she wanted to be with Tzuyu in the end, she could have ended things with Dahyun instead. Her grip felt weaker and weaker until she let go of her hand. Sana would then speak words that completely changed Tzuyu and everything she believed in.

** SN: “..I’m.. I’m sorry, Tzuyu.. I have a girlfriend..” **

Sana was hurt saying those words to Tzuyu. What more to the younger girl? She knew this would hurt had for her. She can see her eyes dilate as she froze in her place after hearing her words as the fact of the matter remains. She lied to Tzuyu. All this time, she had a girlfriend. She made Tzuyu feel  it was real, similar to how she slowly succumbed to her own emotions just because Dahyun could not give her the same kind of happiness. She couldn’t blame any of the two though. It was all her fault. The moment the younger girl spoke, she knew  that things were about to get worse.

** TY: “..Why did you.. make me feel special then?” **

As much as she wanted to explain, she knew she can’t come up with the right words t o make her happy anymore. She knew anything she said would only make the  young girl angry.

** SN: “..We’re under a contract..” **

** TY: “SHUT UP! DON’T LIE!” **

Tzuyu shouted out of frustration, hands were shaking so much that she wanted to hit Sana so badly, but she couldn’t because she really loved her. She knew that what Sana was saying wasn’t true and that her rental girlfriend loves her too.

** TY: “If that’s just your job, THEN WHY DID YOU TREAT ME LIKE A LOVER EVEN WHEN I DIDN’T BOOK YOU!? You were literally behaving like a girlfriend to me even when we hang out.. AND WHAT ABOUT THE TIME YOU ALMOST KISSED ME!?” **

Sana started crying. Frustrated and guilty of what she made the younger girl feel, but ultimately had to end whatever they had, because she knew this was the proper thing to do. However, no explanation can turn things any better for Tzuyu.

** SN: “..There’s nothing that I can say that’ll make you feel better, Tzuyu. I’m really sorry.. hit me if you’d like to.. I don’t care.. I deserve it..” **

And she did. Tzuyu did not hesitate to slap Sana several times . Hit after hit, it felt  something deserving of her. Her  lips started  bleeding from t he pain  she had to endure. It wasn’t enough though. The once sweet and honest girl  she was seeing was gone, and woke up one woman who was so cold and  broken that only she knew why.

** TY: “..Fuck you, Minatozaki Sana..” **

Tzuyu walked away and didn’t look back. Sana was left all alone, still trying to absorb the fact that she did not only Tzuyu dirty, but her girlfriend as well. In the end, it wasn’t just Tzuyu who  ended up unhappy, but her as well.

Everything wasn’t over though. She knew she had to do something  important or else her heart wouldn’t stay quiet about it. The following day, she met up with Dahyun  at the same park. As soon as her girlfriend saw her, she grew concerned to see that h er  face and lips were bruised , understanding that something must have happened  not so long ago.

** DH: “W-what happened to you!?” **

At first, Sana could not speak.  But in the end, she knew she had to. If she doesn’t say what has been going on, it would only mean she was guilty to hide it from her girlfriend forever.

** SN: “..I want to tell you about something.. ** ** ” **

** DH: “Save that for later! Let’s find a clinic first!” **

Dahyun tried to pull Sana from where she stood but the broken woman stood firm in her place. The younger girl’s actions was making it worse for her seeing how she’s still able to give her care. It was just her who didn’t see it  clearly.

** SN: “..I did something wrong ** ** to you..” **

Dahyun stopped, looked at her lover, wondering what this is all about. Sana looked at her as if she was about to burst out crying.

T here she told everything to her girlfriend , seeing Tzuyu outside being booked,  keeping it from her, and eventually starting to develop feelings for her. While she told all of this, Dahyun could not even speak , realizing all this time, Sana hid all of these things happening with her not knowing a thing.

** SN: “..I wanted to say this to you.. because I don’t want to hide anything from now on..” **

This is what Sana wanted. However she believed that it was unlikely of her to be forgiven and such by her girlfriend as well. She may have chosen Dahyun, but that’s because she believes that this was  the right choice. They are in a relationship after all. It’s a matter of her accepting this or not.  If she has chosen Tzuyu, of course it would have meant that it was unlikely for her to be alone since the Taiwanese girl will be there for her. However, will she be able to live with it? Knowing that  she started a relationship with someone new by betraying her lover at that time? Sana didn’t want to be forgiven for what she did. She wanted to be hated. And that’s what she got.

** DH: “..You tell this to me now.. When you had all the opportunities before?..” **

Sana could see her lover shaking out of anger, knowing that  the latter was  just  stopping her own  self from hitting her. If she did though, she’ll just accept it without any resistance .

** DH: “..To think that I trusted you with your  ** ** weird job.. and  ** ** you did something like that..” **

Sana did not say another word. Much like with Tzuyu, she knew that  trying to say more will just end up breaking Dahyun even more. However, it was clear  already that her girlfriend was about to break up with her.

** DH: “..How am I supposed to trust you now?” **

Silence filled the air. Sana knew she had to reply. But at the end of the day, it was up to Dahyun to decide.

** SN: “..You don’t have to ** **.. ** ** but  ** ** if you will, I promise you that I won’t make another mistake ever again.” **

Dahyun was quiet for some time, she did calm down after everything, but her deafening silence made Sana think that even if they move forward with their relationship , it will never be the same as before. Do a hundred good things and  they can easily be overwritten by one wrong thing that you do. And that’s how they are now. Finally, her girlfriend responded to her.

** DH: “..Let’s.. just  ** ** leave some space for each other.. For now.. I don’t want to think about this..  ** ** The tournament is in  ** ** less than a week.. ** ** If you really want to be with me, then stop working as a rental girlfriend.. ** ** ” **

Dahyun turned around and started to walk away. Sana saw this and wanted to go after her. However, her feet were unable to move, as if she felt that running to her lover would just disrespect what she wanted. Besides that, doing something impulsively might break their relationship anytime as they are already on the verge of falling apart. She decided to just  say something instead.

** SN: “..I’ll be at the tournament to watch and support you..” **

Dahyun momentarily stopped from walking away after hearing this, then continued  to leave. Sana was now left alone, with no one to hold on to . Her relationship with Dahyun might still be fixed. That’s why she knew she had to do whatever she can to salvage whatever they have left.

The next time she went to her campus,  Sana heard from students that Tzuyu has changed.  It’s as if her attitude completely turned and became cold towards people, refusing to talk to anyone.  Only she knew why, and this was because of her.  She was definitely guilty of the whole thing , but also understood that showing up in front of the younger girl will not do any good. She best kept her distance. As she returned to class, her classmates immediately noticed her injured face.

** MN: “..What happened?” **

** SN: “..I tripped, hehe..” **

Mina knew that Sana was clearly lying, but it must have been something she didn’t want to make her worry about so she just let it slide.

A few days have passed and Sana’s injuries more or less healed up. With the Archery tournament closing in, she was hoping that her girlfriend was doing fine now. However she can’t help but feel uneasy, knowing that both Dahyun and Tzuyu were bound to meet at the competition . Yet, this was something she too had to face. She made a choice, and had to be at Dahyun’s back , even if Tzuyu was from her home university. She just hoped that nothing will go wrong.

But alas, the unexpected happened. One day, she noticed Tzuyu was being stalked by a bunch of guys following her  and ended up in some alley.  Sana naturally became worried and tried to check up on what’s going on, hoping that the young girl was fine. As soon as she got closer though, she heard Tzuyu’s voice.

** TY: “ ** ** Let go of me!!” **

Sana hurried to check what’s going on and noticed that two men were holding Tzuyu, one was threatening her while the other was looking at a cat that looked like Tzuyu was taking care of. The  Taiwanese girl was struggling to break free from the grasp of the men . Noticing the dangerous situation Tzuyu was in , Sana’s body moved on its own , picking up a piece of rock and throwing it , hitting one of the guys holding  Tzuyu.

** SN: “ ** ** HEY! STOP THAT!” **

T zuyu was shocked to hear Sana’s voice calling out. She then used this  distraction  to  break free from the  two guys holding her. However, instead of running away from  the men, Tzuyu ran towards the kitten , trying to protect it.

** SN: “H-hey!” **

The two guys that held Tzuyu put their focus on Sana , now clearly angry as she was getting in the way.

“ ** Hey, this girls really cute too.” **

** “You wanna join the fun, bitch?” **

Sana started to walk backwards bit by but seeing as to how the  guys were slowly approaching her. She had to make a run for it. However, Tzuyu was still left there in the corner. The younger girl happen to make eye contact with her and there, Sana saw her eyes pleading for help, the girl that she left behind before. It was so painful to look at her and see what has become of Tzuyu’s life. She was powerless  to help  though, not knowing any self defense technique as well as being outnumbered by men. Trying to fight back was just suicide . As much as it pained her to do the same thing once again, she turned around and ran as fast as she could. Leaving Tzuyu in shock as tears once again fell from her eyes. She was abandoned once mor e by  the woman she loved.

** “Fuck! The bitch is getting away!” **

** “Don’t mind her! She won’t go back. We can have ** ** all ** ** our fun with  ** ** Tzuyu here.” **

Tzuyu’s emotions started to get the better of her  and began thinking irrationally.  She tried to fight back and caused one of the guys to get angry . H e picked up a baseball bat laying on the ground and  threatened Tzuyu again, furiously raising the weapon and attempted to hit on the  kitten. Tzuyu immediately noticed what the guy was trying to do a nd immediately tried to block the blow with her right han d.

** TY: “AHHH!!! ** ** ” **

Tzuyu screamed from the pain she felt as she tried to hold on her  right hand , seeing as to how it felt numb and how she may have dis located bone s  and muscle s  from the reckless abandon. However, instead of crying  her heart  from  all the pain , she was angry . Angry from the fact that Sana left her alone to fend for herself.

** “What the fuck, man!? Now people might come here!” **

** “Let’s run for it!” **

As the four men were about  to leave the alley,  three  police men showed up  and arrested the suspects. One of the officers immediately called for an  a mbulance  as Tzuyu was sent to the nearest hospital after witnessing that she had a broken heart. Yet, what’s more painful right now for her was her broken heart.

**_ ~ Flashback End ~ _ **

** SN: “..And that’s why Tzuyu hates me so much..” **

After a long story coming Sana, not a single word was spoken by Mina and Jihyo. Only the sounds of the pupp ies barking as they played around. This though, was Sana’s expected reaction. Just trying to absorb every single bit of information that she explained  saying her side of the story. After speaking, it was her own self that  realized it. She didn’t want to be  understood. She wanted to speak of the truth. Whatever may happen is up to the two most important people to her right now. She lost track of the time they weren’t reacting at all.

Finally,  one of them moved as if she was about to speak, the woman who has been renting her for a while now, Jihyo. After one deep breath, she closed her eyes, and then looked only at Sana’s eyes. The Japanese girl felt as if she was looking through her soul. She can’t lie to her, n ot like she will anyway. As soon as she opened her mouth, she prepared herself for the worst.

** JH: “. ** **.Before I say something, there’s one more thing I want to know. ** ** ” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** JH: “..What happened between you and Dahyun ** ** after that?” **

** SN: “..We still broke up.” **

** JH: “..Why?” **

** SN: “.. ** ** She wanted me to stop working as a rental girlfriend.” **

Jihyo somewhat expected this response. Thinking about how everything went downhill between Sana and Dahyun before, it all rooted from seeing other people, particularly Tzuyu, as a rental girlfriend.

** JH: “..Then why didn’t you stop? You said you wanted to fix your relationship with her. ** ** ” **

** SN: “..Because of Tzuyu.” **

** JH: “ ** **..I thought so. There’s something you haven’t told Tzuyu. Am I right?” **

** SN: “…” **

Sana’s silence definitely meant Jihyo was right.  Mina wondered what this is all about.

** MN: “..What do you mean?” **

** JH: “Sana.. was the one who called for the police to save Tzuyu.” **

** M ** ** N: “..Eh?” **

** JH: “ ** ** If police happened to be just passing by, it probably would have been only one ** ** on patrol. ** ** Sana said there were three of them. ** ** It wasn’t possible she only heard about this from Tzuyu, considering how angry she was  ** ** already  ** ** with Sana ** **.” **

** MN: “..Then how is  ** ** that related to not quitting your rental girlfriend job? Unless you wanted Tzuyu to..” **

** JH: “That wasn’t the reason, Minari. Sana needed the job, because  ** ** she’s the one paying for Tzuyu’s  ** ** operation bill since then.” **

** MN: “..W-what?” **

** SN: “..You’re right. ** ** This was the fastest way to earn money ** ** and pay off the loan ** **. ** **** ** It was my fault she can’t even do Archery now ** ** , because I couldn’t help her in time. I wasn’t strong enough.. ** ** I  ** ** didn’t tell her I called the cops to save her. At the end of the day ** ** , she still lost her right hand because of me. ** ** Tzuyu didn’t force me to pay for it. I was the one who insisted.” **

** JH: “..That’s why she became possessive of you..” **

** MN: “.. ** ** You haven’t told Dahyun about this?” **

** SN: “..If  ** ** I told her, it’ll only make her feel worse that I’m doing something like that for ** ** Tzuyu ** ** , somebody that I fell in love with.. ** **** ** I just said I’ll continue working as a rental girlfriend.  ** ** At least this way, she was able to finally move on.  ** ** She even made it to the semi-finals.” **

Silence once again followed  as they all tried to absorb all of the revelations and confessions made on that  day. Now then begins what may be a new chapter in their lives. Soon, Jihyo  spoke.

** JH: “..I’ll tell that to Tzuyu.” **

** MN: “..Eh?” **

** SN: “..W-what? D-don’t!  ** ** It’s not going to change anything!” **

** JH: “..Then why are you worried?” **

** SN: “ ** ** …” **

** JH: “..Because you still like her?” **

Sana blushed not expecting such a question from Jihyo, the girl that she likes right now. Mina too was surprised how straightforward her infatuation was.

** SN: “N-no! I don’t! It’s just..  ** ** I don’t want her to feel bad anymore..” **

** JH: “..Then I won’t tell her, under two conditions.” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** JH: “..I want you to tell Momo about your rental girlfriend job.” **

** SN: “..W-why?” **

** JH: “She’s been trying her best to support you and Dahyun. ** ** She deserves to know. ** ** I met your ex-girlfriend because of her and she’s been worried sick ** ** of you.” **

Mina was surprised to hear this from Jihyo. She wondered, did this mean that she wanted Sana and Dahyun to get back together? Where does that place  Jihyo? Is she no longer feeling the same way towards Sana?

** SN: “..Okay. I’ll tell her. ** ** But what’s the other condition?” **

** JH: “..Meet up with Dahyun and tell her the truth ** ** why you continued working as a rental girlfriend.” **

** SN: “W-what!? That’s like the same with ** ** you telling ** ** Tzuyu ** **!” **

Sana was getting worried where their conversation was going. She hasn’t seen Dahyun ever since and doing so might just end up hurting both of them once again. However, Jihyo looked at her and held her right hand and looked at her sincerely .

** JH: “ ** **..Won’t you trust me on this one?” **

Sana turned red and looked away as she could not focus with what they were talking about. After a bit of contemplation, she decided to give it a go.

** SN: “..F-fine! B-bu ** ** t only this once, okay?” **

** JH: “..Thanks.” **

Sana may have not understood why, but the girl watching them did. She did notice now though that her doubts was definitely true.  Her friend has feelings for Jihyo. The puppies started to circle around Mina as if they wanted to play with her . She tried petting the two and smiled at them. Sana and Jihyo both saw her and the latter soon joined her taking care of the pups. Everything looked okay, but Sana felt something strange, as if there was something she was expectin g, a reaction similar to that of Dahyun and Tzuyu. In a way, she felt guilty of joining the two important people in her life. That’s why she decided to leave.

** SN: “..I’ll get going then ** ** , hehe.” **

** MN: “..Eh?” **

** JH: “…” **

Mina was surprised as Sana just came there to tell all those things to them. However, Jihyo did not react .

** SN: “..I’ll try talking to Momo and Dahyun for now, hehe. I’ll.. join you two next time!” **

** MN: “..Sa-chan, w-wait!” **

Sana hurried and ex ited Jihyo’s apartment not waiting for them to reply. She understood why she felt that way. Seeing how  both Mina and Jihyo not seeming to mind what she did before made her feel even worse as a person, as if she didn’t deserve to  have both of them in her life right now. The moment she left,  she realized that she wanted to move on and start anew , distancing herself from these people who still didn’t hate on her. She started to walk away slowly, tears falling down.

Back at Jihyo’s apartment, Mina was getting worried of her friend . While Jihyo was just silent.

** MN: “..Unnie, aren’t we going after her? She looked..  ** ** lonely..” **

Jihyo still didn’t respond as Mina was really bothered by how the older girl wasn’t reacting. She felt that she needed to move . As soon as she stood up, Jihyo spoke.

** JH: “..Minari.” **

** MN: “..Eh?” **

** JH: “.. ** ** Can you keep Sana company today? I’ll take care of the pups on my own for now.” **

Hearing this, Mina smiled. She was right. Jihyo was still worried of Sana. Maybe it was just that she’s not sure how she was feeling right now after learning about  Sana’s past. The shy girl nodded, took her bag and hurried outside to  catch up to her friend.

After Mina left, Jihyo was alone again. She paused for a bit and then brought out her phone, looked at it for a bit before unlocking and proceeded to send a message to someone, Chou Tzuyu.

**_ Jihyo: _ **

**_ ‘Hey, Tzuyu. Can we meet u _ ** **_ p on Saturday _ ** **_ after lunch _ ** **_? I’ll be at  _ ** **_ Yeun-nam  _ ** **_ C _ ** **_ entral Park  _ ** **_ to take the pups for a walk.’ _ **

Meanwhile, Mina was able to eventually reach her friend and immediately called to her.

** MN: “Sa-chan!” **

Sana was surprised to hear Mina shouting to her , stopping and turning around to see her friend trying to catch her breath. After  a few heavy breaths,  she looked at Sana.

** SN: “..W-what’s wrong, Mi-tan?” **

** MN: “..I’ll go with you.” **

Sana turned to her back before replying.

** SN: “..Jihyo will be lonely you know.” **

** MN: “..Why did you want to leave?” **

Sana did not reply and was just silence. As heavy as it may sound she felt like being accepted by her friends right now will only make her feel bad that they can’t even hate on her.

** MN: “ ** **.. ** ** You’re still the same Sa-chan for me.” **

Mina couldn’t see, but Sana was starting to tear up. She felt unworthy after  letting out the worse in her.

** SN: “..I just.. feel bad.. you’re not hating on me despite what I did.. if we weren’t friends,  ** ** would you have forgiven me?” **

** MN: “…” **

** SN: “..Jihyo is probably more affected than you.. That’s why she didn’t react when I left..” **

** MN: “..She told me to co ** ** m ** ** e after you. ** ** ” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

Sana was surprised to hear this, as she  felt that Jihyo  was starting to change her opinion about her just basing on her recent reactions.

** MN: “..Give her time, Sa-chan.. she’s probably trying to figure things out on her own.” **

** SN: “.. ** ** Thanks. ** ** Are you sure you’ll come with me? I’m gonna go see Momo.” **

Mina nodded and smiled.  They both headed to Momo’s place without talking to each other. It’s not as if they had nothing to talk about, but  Mina knew that her friend needed the silence. The other girl had no idea what’s going on and this too can  change  how Momo would see her. They arrived at the Japanese restaurant she was working at and just so happened to finish her shift.

** MM: “..Eh? Why are you both here?” **

** SN: “..Do you have time today, Momoring?” **

** MM: “Yeah, why? You treating me dinner? Hehe.” **

** SN: “..There are some things that I’d like to say to you.” **

** MM: “You look so serious. Let’s eat while we talk about that!” **

The three Japanese girls went to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant and made their order. Afterwards, Sana started to tell the other girl about her actual part-time job, Jihyo saying she met her ex-girlfriend, as well as the reason why things didn’t work out for her and Dahyun.

** SN: “..And that’s that.” **

** MM: “..I can’t believe Jihyo-ssi told you that I’ve been talking to Dubu for a while now.” **

** MN: “..Please don’t take it against her. ** ** ” **

** MM: “Nah, it’s okay. I was more worried of Sa-tan’s reaction if she knew, hehe.” **

** SN: “..Aren’t you mad at me for what I did?” **

** MM: “ ** ** Umm.. actually, Dubu did tell me about ** ** your rental girlfriend job, hehe. ** ** But I didn’t know that was the reason you still continued  ** ** doing it. ** ** But tell me one thing though.” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** MM: “ ** **..You’re not really dating Jihyo-ssi. Right?” **

** S ** ** N: “..N-no.. she was just a client.. and things got complicated. That’s why we had to ‘act’ as one.” **

** MM: “..You enjoyed it though, hehe.” **

** SN: “H-hey!” **

Sana started blushing just thinking how it was true, she really enjoyed Jihyo’s company as she has always given her warmth when they spend time together. However, that might have been the end , w ith the younger girl thinking right now about everything she learned about her.

** MM: “..You like her, right?” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

Sana didn’t know what to say. She did say that she wanted to be open to them from now on about these things. However, Mina was right there beside her, who  looked curious to hear what her answer was.

** SN: “..I don’t.. I don’t know.” **

** MN: “…” **

** MM: “Well, if  ** ** you’re not, why don’t you get back with Dahyun?” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** MM: “I think if you tell her about that, she’d understand and you can become a couple again. ** ** You’re  ** ** finally  ** ** gonna meet her too, right?” **

** SN: “Y-yeah..” **

** MM: “Then I’ll set it up this weekend. You don’t have work ** ** on Saturday?” **

** SN: “..I’ll free my schedule.” **

** MM: “Okay, leave it to me~” **

** SN: “..Thanks, Momoring.” **

Afterwards, they all finished eating their dinner. Momo still had to meet up with Jeongyeon that night so she left Sana and Mina by themselves. They were both walking back to Yonsei dormitories as Sana wanted to take the younger girl home.

** MN: “ ** **..Looks like things turned out well with Momoring.” **

** SN: “..Yeah. At least I’m halfway done with my agreement with Jihyo.” **

While on their way,  Mina suddenly stopped from walking  causing the older girl to halt as well.

** SN: “What’s wrong, Mi-tan?” **

** MN: “..Tell me the truth, Sa-chan..” **

** SN: “..Eh?” **

** MN: “..You’re in love with Jihyo-unnie, aren’t you?” **

It was a dead end. Sana knew she can’t avoid the question any longer. If she really wanted to make a difference in her life, she had to admit the truth .

** SN: “..Yeah. ** ** I’m sorry..” **

** MN: “..Why are you apologizing?” **

** SN: “..I didn’t want to fall in love  ** ** with her. ** ** ” **

Silence soon followed between the two girls. No matter how they look at it, they both like the same girl. This too is what it really meant when it was about them living their lives differently from now on. They both knew this was bound to happen. However, Sana continued.

** SN: “..But you don’t need to worry, Mi-tan.” **

** MN: “..Eh?” **

Tears came out of Sana’s eyes as she tried her best to smile at her closest friend.

** SN: “..I’m giving up on her. ** ** Giving up on my feelings..” **

Mina was surprised to hear this, she  walked towards her friend and held both on her shoulders.

** MN: “..W-what are you saying?  ** ** Shouldn’t you fight for your feelings too?” **

** SN: “..I’m afraid..  ** ** th ** ** at I might hurt someone aga ** ** in.. I think it’s better that I will be the one that’s hurt in the end..” **

Mina then realized what was going on, Jihyo was trying to  give Sana  the opportunity to fix her  problems with the two. But there was something bothering her. Isn’t this the same as Jihyo giving up on Sana and  wanting her to get back with Dahyun?

** MN: “..Don’t do this.. ** ** Jihyo likes you too, remember? ** ** She.. confessed to you..” **

** SN: “..It’s too late now, Mi-tan..  ** ** I don’t want  ** ** to.. hurt someone again..” **

The wind felt very cold and Sana’s eyes were hurting from the breeze  hitting her watery eyes, despite her tears falling down, she maintained a smile as she talked to Mina , wanting to reassure her friend that she’s okay . Sana hugged her as she whispered  to Mina’s ear.

** SN: “..Take care of Jihyo for me, okay?” **


End file.
